Absence
by The Rabid Bunny
Summary: Rumiko Takahashi ended the series with many unanswered questions. This is a look into what Kagome went through in the three years of separation from Inuyasha. Rated M for language and future explicit content. Lemon at some point.
1. Makes Me Irrationally Angry

**A/N: Hullo, my kiddees. I am known to write fanfics centering around Sakura and other Naruto characters, but I had an itch I needed to scratch. It always kind of bothered me how the InuYasha manga ended. Nothing was really explained, like why was she gone just long enough to graduate high school, and how did she get back in the first place? So, I took a bit of license and will try to answer those and many more questions. Oh, and I will be taking elements from both the manga and anime, including at least one or more of the movies. Please feel free to review. Let me know if you like it or hate it.**

**Yeah, and I am aware that Kagome is rather OOC in this first chapter, but that will remedy itself soon.**

**InuYasha and his friends do not belong to me...at all.**

Absence

Makes Me Irrationally Angry

"Shikon no Tama, disappear...forever."

She remembered the words she had said in the deepest darkness never imagined. But, _he_ had been there then, and he had given her the strength that she had needed. He had come for her against all odds, against all manner of demon that had been trapped inside of that tiny hell. He had been by her side, holding her hand when she had shouted her wish to the ages.

Then, the jewel had granted her wish.

It had pulsated in a blinding pink supernova, only to fizzle out completely in mere seconds. Then, there was nothing attached to the arrow that had pierced the jewel. And, they were left alone in the dark.

He had gripped her hand tightly, his elongated claws digging into her skin. The sensation had been welcome. It meant that they were alive, and together.

They had stood in the darkness for what seemed like hours, but could have been minutes; neither moving nor speaking, afraid to shatter the peace of this lonely place. She couldn't remember who had noticed the small square-shaped hole in the black that surrounded their very being. Only that they had moved toward the bright spot as if it were only natural.

They peered into the brightness of the hole, wondering to where it could lead.

He had muttered a low 'keh' before hoisting her with one arm and jumping feet first. She didn't even flinch, because that was how he did things. That, and...well, anything was better than standing in that god-forsaken blackness.

It was an odd sensation, landing upright on the lip of the well. As if, somehow, in their travels through space, they had twisted their direction to land head first, instead of feet first. But, land they did, in her time.

"Oh, my God, Kagome, InuYasha? You're back." Her mama, grandfather, and little brother were all standing in the well-house, huddled around the once-abandoned watering hole.

"Hey, everyone, what are you guys doing out here?" Kagome extracted herself from InuYasha and hopped onto the floor of the well-house. Her family closed around her and wrapped her in tight hugs and warm kisses. The silver-haired hanyou remained perched on the edge of the well and watched and listened.

"We were so worried about the both of you." Mrs. Higurashi held her daughter closer and gave InuYasha a worried look. "After you went through the well, the last time, it...well, the well just disappeared. And we didn't know what had happened to you." The woman was barely able to keep the tears that were freely flowing down her cheeks from affecting her voice.

"What do you mean, the well disappeared?" Kagome glanced up at her protector, only to see him watching her family with an odd expression on his face. What was he thinking at that moment? She had never seen that particular look on his face before.

"The well. It just...poof...gone. For three days, then it just showed back up, and here you guys are." Souta couldn't contain the excitement at getting to talk to his idol of the past year. "So, InuYasha, did you beat the crap out of that bad guy?"

When there was no answer, the family looked up collectively. Kagome was halted in her rant that the stupid idiot needed to answer questions when asked of him, when she finally realized what was happening.

InuYasha's body was fading into the well. It wasn't quite the same as when he normally travelled through the time-warp. Usually, he just jumped in, there was a flash of blue light, and he was gone. No, this time, he was fading gradually.

When he looked back at her, Kagome gasped and her hand flew to her chest where her heart had stopped beating. She had seen _that _look on his face exactly twice. Once when he had been caught in an illusion that had taken shape of his long-deceased mother. The second was when Kikyo, his love, had died a second and more permanent time.

Utter and complete sadness.

His golden eyes had turned a deep almost bronze color, and his adorable puppy ears were lying flat against his scalp. If she had been close enough, she probably would have heard him whining.

Then, he was gone.

"I-InuYasha?" She wrenched herself from her mother's arms and bounded to the well. There was no sign that anything was amiss, so why had he left? Kagome flipped her long black hair over her shoulder and eyed her kin.

"I'm gonna find out what he's up to. Probably pissed I'm not groveling at him for saving my ass yet again." With that, she hopped into the well.

The family waited for the usual bluish glow and vacuum sound that accompanied the travelor's shift into the past. They waited...waited...

"WHY THE FUCK CAN'T I GET THROUGH!!!"

It was difficult to discern the emotion in that screamed sentence whose echo resounded out of the well-house, throughout the shrine proper, down the shrine's stairs that led to the rest of the world, and back up again.

Anguish, anger, sadness, hurt, betrayal, rage, scorn. They were all there, and all present knew why.

Kagome had been through so much in the past year. She had travelled throughout Japan's feudal era fighting wayward warlords and ambitious demons, all in the attempt to make whole what she had sundered. In her travels, she had been injured and ill, had nearly died a multitude of times, nearly failed out of school, and she had fallen in love.

And that was the heart of the matter.

Kagome stood at the bottom of the well, breathing deeply. She looked up at her family, as they peered down at her, the same question writ on all of their faces. What had happened?

It was her mother, that saintly woman who had been surprisingly understanding to her fourteen-year-old daughter's need to traipse around feudal era Japan fighting demons with a half-demon/half-human half breed, who broke the silence. Bless that woman in all of her sweetness.

"What happened, dear?" Kagome couldn't help but blink owlishly at her mother for a full minute before answering.

"I don't know, mama. This isn't the first time I've had trouble getting back, so there has to be a reason why I can't get through. But...surely InuYasha didn't block it again, right?" She looked up at her mother.

Mrs. Higurashi saw the fear of rejection in her daughter's eyes. She had known this was bound to happen and was surprised that Kagome hadn't prepared for it. If they had defeated their enemy, and if the jewel was gone, then perhaps Kagome would no longer be able to travel between the realms. Of course, she knew her daughter well and had already picked up on her child's line of thinking. It would take no time for her to come to the conclusion that, with the jewel gone, InuYasha would no longer need her around, and that he had run and closed up the well while he'd had the chance.

Of course he hadn't done that. But that wouldn't stop Kagome from thinking it.

"Why don't you come inside and take a bath, dear. We'll get something to eat, and then maybe you'll be able to get through." The Higurashi matriarch hoped that her daughter's natural knack for jumping to conclusions wouldn't cause her anger to fester, but she knew that was too much to hope for. She also hoped that Kagome could make it through what was to come without a complete breakdown.

As Kagome pulled herself from the well, with the aid of her brother and grandfather, her mother found herself sighing heavily. They were in for a long road to recovery.

This was, after all, the girl's first love. It was sad that it had to end in such a way.

On the other side of the well, five hundred years in the past, a not-so-triumphant hero clawed his way out of the time portal for the last time. The onlookers, those who had been awaiting his return were disheartened by the appearance of their friend. Instead of the cocky fang-filled grin that he normally offered while hoisting the over-sized Tetsusaiga over his shoulder, they were met with what very well resembled a kicked puppy.

InuYasha stood outside of the well and met no one's gaze, instead he eyed his surroundings. The sun was shining, birds were chirping, and there was a warm breeze. All-in-all, the day was shaping up to be a beautiful sign that spring had come, and that they had vanquished their foe. Kagome would have loved it.

The warring emotions within him were too much to bear. He was glad to have won his battle, and that all of his comrades had lived to tell the tale. The only problem was that, the one person who had brought them all together would no longer be a part of their pack. He just hoped the runt would understand. Taking a deep breath and squaring his shoulders, InuYasha raised his head and looked around to all of his companions, awaiting their questions.

All were there. Sango and Miroku sitting together in the field of flowers, seeming to enjoy the sun's warmth. Miroku was attempting to discreetly cop a feel on the demon-slayer, who managed to keep the monk's wandering hands at bay while watching her revived brother as he played with the young girl, Rin.

Kohaku had seemed to take it upon himself to act as protector and plaything to Rin, as she was currently braiding tiny flowers into the boy's top-knot. Sesshomaru, InuYasha's cool-hearted half-brother, had apparently deigned humans not-so-bad to associate with and was currently watching his charge bully the young demon-slayer into playing with her. Jaken, the ever-present vassal of the House of the West, was hanging on his lord's every movement, all the while complaining about allowing Rin to play with such a filthy boy.

Kaede was even there, sitting along the side-lines, taking it all in. Well, except for the occasional act of bopping Shippo on the head for some prank-gone-wrong. Currently, the young fox demon was sporting a rather large egg-shaped bump on his noggin, while trying to wave away billowing pink smoke from some unknown attempt at a transformation.

All were performing such mundane acts. All were waiting for him to pull himself together.

Finally, Shippo broke the silence. He bounded over to InuYasha and ran up the hanyou's body to perch lightly on his shoulder.

"InuYasha, what happened? You guys have been gone forever." The kit paused and sniffed, then he looked around InuYasha's back. He climbed the now-bristling dog-demon and perched on his head, amidst the tilting ears, and peered into the well. The young demon then climbed back to his friend's shoulder and rested his front paws on the man's face. "Where's Kagome?"

Now, all eyes were on them. Even Sesshomaru watched idly, as if his curiousity had been piqued. Of course, he wouldn't let anyone know if it had.

"Well, she made her wish and destroyed the jewel," InuYasha reached up and grabbed the kit by the brush of his tail, pulling him away from his face. He peered at the little fluff ball that was now hanging upside down and huffing. "Then, we returned to her time, and she was reunited with her family. And, now I'm here."

"What does that mean?" Shippo wrestled himself away from the claws that had him dangling. He jumped to the edge of the well and looked inside again. "When's Kagome coming home?"

"She is home." InuYasha's words didn't carry the gruffness that they usually held. He spoke softly, almost sadly. Sango approached and lay a hand on the hanyou's shoulder. She watched him for a moment, but could not really see his face. The downcast eyes and face were shadowed beneath his bangs, but she knew what he had meant. She stepped away and sat next to the kit.

"What he means is that she's with her family. She's not coming back." Crystal green eyes full of tears and as round as the Shikon jewel had ever been rounded on her.

"She has to come back. We're her family, right?" The pup looked from Sango to InuYasha. He pointed at the silver-haired man, and spat, "He made her mad, and now she's just saying she's not coming back." He rounded on InuYasha. "You have to bring her back. You have to apologize..."

As if a dam had broken, the kit broke down into a sobbing, sniffling mess. Sango pulled the boy in tightly and spoke soft, reassuring words. Inside, her heart was breaking, too. She looked again at InuYasha.

"What do we do now?"

"We move on." His words were ominous and laced with fear. But, they were true.

While InuYasha tried to pick up the pieces in the aftermath of what had been his greatest adventure, Kagome was finishing her shower.

She stepped out of the warmth with a smile and a sigh. Modern luxury was something that she had missed over the past few weeks. Their final fight with Naraku had been grueling to say the least, and she hadn't been sure that she would get all of the grime to wash away. But, now, she was fresh and squeaky clean and ready to take on anything that came her way. Well, after a nice dinner, anyway.

She sat down to a wonderfully prepared meal of oden, thanking mama the entire time for her culinary skills. Home-cooked meals had become high on Kagome's list of 'greatest things of the modern era'. Sitting in a brightly lit kitchen at the dinner table with her family definitely beat out camping for weeks on end and living off of instant ramen.

Suddenly, she felt her mood shift. And, by the reactions of those opposite her, she could tell they felt it as well. Yeah, she was with her family, but what about those on the other side of the well that had become her family as well. Miroku copping feels on Sango and getting his ass kicked in the process. Shippo and InuYasha fighting over the last cup of ramen. InuYasha telling the houshi to keep his hands to himself. InuYasha telling her to get some rest before she got any uglier...

InuYasha.

"Perhaps, you should go try the well again, dear." Mrs. Higurashi's voice was a sing-song as she cleaned up the dishes from dinner. The slamming of the outside door was the only response she got. The woman caught a glimpse of Souta trying to sneak out to join his sister, but she would not have him disturbing the girl. He did not need to see what Kagome was about to go through. "I don't think so, young man, I need help with these dishes."

"Ah, mom..." Was all he said, but he didn't argue, instead, he joined her at the sink. As the two went about their business, she kept an eye on the well-house through the window. Hopefully, she would see a faint blue glow that meant that Kagome had gotten through, but she knew that particular hope was futile.

While mother and son set to tidying up the mess that had been dinner, the daughter made her way to the well-house. Bathed by the filtered rays of the late afternoon's sun, the girl stepped into the dark interior. Contrasted to outdoors, the inside seemed endlessly black. But she knew better, she had seen what an endless black abyss looks like, and this certainly wasn't it.

Before dropping into the bottom of the well, she grabbed the bow and quiver that she had haphazardly discarded a few hours before. Once firmly on the ground inside of the bone-eater's well, Kagome thought about the times that she had previously been locked out of the well. The first time had been when InuYasha had stolen her jewel shards and blocked the portal with a tree. She had gotten back by sheer luck when an unsuspecting Shippo had been chased into the bottom of the well. That, and she had begged the jewel to let her through. Well, since the jewel no longer existed, no amount of begging would get her anywhere.

Okay, option two. Once, Kikyo had forced her into lock-down by placing some sort of aging spell on the Goshinboku, whose wood had made up the well. It had taken a very stategically placed arrow to get her back that time. Well, maybe it would work this time, too.

Kagome pulled an arrow from her quiver and knocked it. She pulled the bow-string tight and said a silent prayer for this to work.

Nothing happened.

The point of the arrow didn't glow pink. There wasn't a crackle of her energy flowing outward.

The would-be archer concentrated harder. She envisioned her power filling the tip of the arrow.

Still, nothing happened.

Her hair did not swirl around her with the force of her powers. There was no electric current that bounced about the room.

Marshaling her will power, the girl thought that just maybe her powers weren't visible for some reason. She absolutely refused to believe that she couldn't get through. She pulled the bowstring taught and, with a deep breath, she let the projectile fly.

Absolutely nothing.

The arrow just stuck in the ground. There was no surge of power. There wasn't even a 'thump' as the arrow hit the dirt.

Kagome's sight bled red. She just couldn't believe that she couldn't get through, jewel or not. InuYasha had been able to travel through time without the jewel, why couldn't she?

Unless he really had blocked it so that she couldn't return.

Before she knew it, she had emptied her quiver, every last arrow was now embedded into the floor of the well. This had done nothing to sate her anger, it had only fueled it.

"If that bastard locked me out, I'll kill him."

As the daughter was quickly spiraling into an emotional tempest, the mother decided it was time to check with her child. She rushed toward the well-house, fully understanding the range of emotions that Kagome was about to go through. She had felt the same when her own husband had died; the hurt, scorn, anger, sadness. Sure, Inuyasha hadn't died per se, but with five hundred years separating the, he may as well have.

Mama Higurashi knew what was about to happen to her daughter, and she just hoped the girl would endure and come out with little scarring.

The inside of the well-house was a mess. The random junk that had been stored along the walls littered the floor in shambled piles. Kagome's bow lay unstrung against one wall, and her empty quiver had been thrown against another. What arrows weren't planted firmly in the ground lay strewn, broken into several pieces.

The girl, herself, was pacing in the shadows of the far wall, hands gripping her hair while she muttered profanities to no one. Her face was grimey where the dirt from the floor of the well had mixed with tears she probably hadn't realized she had shed. She turned blurry red eyes toward her mother.

"He locked me out, mama, he locked me out." The girl was in hysterics, her words were coming out in broken gasps. "I'll kill him, I'll kill him, I'LL KILL HIM!" She had begun pacing and ranting again, and Mrs. Higurashi could only watch with wide horrified eyes as the wraith that had been her daughter swayed on her feet.

"Kagome dear, why don't we go inside. You can rest, and we'll figure this out..." She was cut off by Kagome's hissed reply.

"I don't need rest, mother. I need to figure out how to get back. I need to find out why he did this. I can't believe he'd do this after everything I sacrificed for him." Mrs. Higurashi was shocked to hear this vicious tone from her usually sun-shiney daughter. Kagome's next action scared her even more. "I'll kill that bastard for this." To punctuate her words, the girl's fist made contact with the wall, and the crunch of possibly one or two broken knuckles could probably be heard in the house where Souta and grandpa waited.

Mama just shook her head and retreated from this lost and broken form that was her child. There would be no getting through to the girl today. Perhaps tomorrow she could remind her that the well had probably closed due to the lack of existence of the Shikon jewel. For now, the poor girl had to sort through her own perceived rejection.

The elder Higurashi female made her way back home with a sigh. She hadn't realized that Kagome harbored such rage, but then again, she had always been rather feisty. But, she would get through this...somehow.

Hopefully, she wouldn't come out too jaded.


	2. Sends Me Spiralling Downward

**A/N: Hiya. Back with a new chapter. This one is way emotional, and I hope you all can bear with me on the total OOC-ness. It will return to normal, I hope. Anyways, thanks to those who have reviewed. And to those who have alerted and favorited. I just wish that more of you would review. I would like to know how this fic is being received. It's kind of different for me, so I don't know how well it's working. So please drop me a line. Anyways, on with the show. Enjoy!!!**

**And, I edited some of the time line in the previous chapter. If Kagome went into the well at fifteen and spent two years there, she would come back at seventeen and that would make her graduating high school at twenty. So, I changed it to where she was fourteen and only spent a year in the well. Making her eighteen at graduation. Does that make sense?**

**I don't own these characters. At all. Damn..**

Absence

Sends Me Spiralling Downward

Kagome was pissed. Still.

It had been a couple of months since InuYasha had walked away from her. It had been a couple of months since she had realized how much he had actually used her.

They had fought together, grown together. They had won their battle. And then, he had left her.

She would find a way back, and she would make him pay.

The girl in question was currently pacing her way around the well-house, going over her tired list of ways to get back. She had tried every thing she could think of, and none had worked. Now, it was a matter of wracking her brain to find a new solution. A solution that kept alluding her.

And what was worse, she was supposed to start high school in the morning.

Yeah, just what she needed. Fielding questions about her ailments and her two-timing boyfriend. Boy, would her friends flip if they knew how close yet far from the truth they actually were.

They had never been a couple. InuYasha had seen to that when he had spent most of his time pining over Kikyo. Kagome had come to terms with the fact that she would forever be second-best, but she had relished in the fact that she would be by his side, not that back-stabbing miko.

Kagome caught herself. No, Kikyo had not been the enemy. She had been sad and twisted by both the jewel and her own hatred. If she had truly trusted InuYasha, Naraku would not have been able to turn them against one another. It was a Miko's ingrained miss-givings about demons and a half-demon's reluctance to trust anyone that caused their strife. Kagome's trip to the top of Mount Azusa had taught her much about her own emotions. That had been when she realized that the illusion of Kikyo that she had known, the body made of clay that existed with a piece of their combined soul, was nowhere near the gentle reality of the Shikon jewel's guardian. Once she had come to terms with the fact that Kikyo had not actually been the type of woman to actively seek anyone's death, and that only the warped nature of Naraku's lies had changed the woman's heart, Kagome had been able to take control of her predecessor's weapon. She had also been able to come to grips with why InuYasha had mourned her death so. He truly had loved her, and Kagome had finally understood why.

Wait. Why was she thinking about this now? It didn't matter that she had a distinct comprehension of the love shared between an ambitious hanyou and a confused miko. All that mattered was that her own world had changed drastically. Again.

She renewed her pacing.

He world hadn't just changed, it was crumbling down around her. And starting tomorrow, she had to try to play the role of excited high school student. How the hell was she going to pass that off?

It took no time at all for Kagome to settle into a routine of grand proportions.

She resumed her schooling, of course. And, much to her relief, her two-timing boyfriend was not an immediate topic of conversation among her friends. Her casted right hand, however, was much a point of interest.

She had hoped to have the cast off, and the full mobility of her hand by the time school started. Yeah, right. She had miraculously broken three knuckles. How she had managed to muster enough strength to punch a wall, let alone break her own fingers, was beyond her. Of course, she told her friends that she had fallen from her bicycle. She would never know if they bought the lie, but none of them pushed the issue. They, instead opted for discussing boys, clothes, and shoes. You know, typical teenage girl stuff.

When finished with school, the young Higurashi girl would opt to head straight home, on the pretence that she had chores to help out with around the shrine. That was a pretty feasible story, so no one argued. Her friends, however, did show an interest in what school club she might join.

Kagome had no intention, whatsoever, of joining a club. She had more important things to do.

Like pace frantically beside an old well that had once been a portal to a time five hundred years in the past while trying to figure out a way back through it.

It would only take about an hour of pacing for her to run through all of her options. Then, the girl's notorious temper would flare.

There were times that Mama Higurashi wondered how that old shelter could handle her daughter's ire. But, it did. Much to Kagome's chagrin. She was seriously beginning to think that, if she couldn't go through the well, maybe she should just tear the whole thing down. That would sate her anger. Okay, maybe not, but it would make her feel a little justified. For about a minute. Then what?

So, she went about her business of faking her life around her friends, then unleashing her wrath at home. She didn't care that her grandfather had taken to leaving the room every time she entered. It didn't phase her one bit that little Souta cringed at the sound of her voice. She was mad at the world, and she had let everyone know it.

The only person who didn't cower in her presence was her mother. And that pissed her off even more. Mama Higurashi would greet her every day with a smile and ask how she was feeling. Kagome's snide remarks and blue-tinged curses never once made that understanding smile falter.

After awhile of taking her frustrations out on her family, the girl was actually beginning to feel bad. She didn't like sending her grandfather into a flurry to run upon eye-contact; she hated that Souta 'eeped' in fear every time he came across her shadow. But, it was her mother that incurred much of her frustration. That damnable woman had a knack for refocusing her anger and bringing it to the forefront.

It was the sympathy and compassion in that smile.

Kagome didn't want understanding. She wanted answers. Answers that would never come, and her mother knew it. That was where the compassion came from, and Kagome wanted no part in it. So, she proceeded to fall into a spiraling abyss of self-loathing and hatred.

And Mama Higurashi had had enough.

She had been idly watching her daughter slip further. She had known that the girl's ire was unfounded, and she had hoped that Kagome would realize this on her own. But, upon watching how the child had begun to treat those who were _there_ and those who cared, she knew it was just about time to step in.

What that girl needed was a swift kick in the ass, and her mother was just the person to do it.

So, on a Friday, about four months after the girl had simultaneously come out of the well while being left behind by the one she loved, Kagome found her routine being completely upended.

The day had started well enough. Her friends had wheedled her into agreeing to meet them at an arcade on Sunday for a shopping excursion of massive proportions. And, deep down, Kagome knew she needed it, but she really did want to spend her day fuming unhealthily at a dead well. Really, that's all she wanted to do. So, when she had realized that her friends would not take no for an answer, she had reluctantly agreed, before finally being released to make her way home.

She thought idly as she made her way to the well-house that she should help her grandfather with some of the chores. In her months of self-imposed incarceration within the well's shelter, she had noticed the shambling neglect upon the building. Currently, she was noticing the same effects on the shrine property. Why hadn't Souta been helping to keep up the repairs? Slowly, she tore herself from the thoughts, reminding herself that she didn't care if the shrine burned right now. All that was important was finding a way back and kicking InuYasha's ass for leaving her behind.

She should have known something was going to happen when she saw that the shelter's door was open as if waiting for her. When she walked in, she saw her mother sitting on the edge of the well, gazing inside.

"What the hell do you want?"

While Kagome was being reintroduced to her mother's soft smile, on the other side of the well, a hanyou was being reintroduced to a kitsune's ire.

"Why are you here, InuYasha?" Shippo's tail fluffed in annoyance.

"Same reason as you, runt." The dog-hanyou plopped himself on the ground beside the well, folding his hands into the sleeves of his fire-rat haori. The sun was shining brightly on this late summer day. It was probably going to be one of the last warm days of the year, and InuYasha had wanted to spend it in peace, remembering happy times. But, apparently the kit wasn't too happy with his presence.

"I thought you said that we should move on. How come you keep coming here, stupid?" The young fox demon had hopped onto the lip of the well to focus his bright green gaze on the man in front of him.

That's what InuYasha had told them. They needed to move on. And that's what they had done. Miroku and Sango had married within weeks of the well's closing, and they had established themselves quite nicely within the village. They were even expecting their first child already. Shippo thought they were 'moving on' a little too quickly, and he would have been shocked to know that InuYasha agreed with him. Of course, neither had lost their love nor a mother figure, only a good friend. It had been easy for them to move on.

The loss of Kagome still weighed on the dog-demon. And, it seemed that only Kaede had noticed, what with her constant reminders that the pain would ease with time. Shippo, however, was very vocal in the fact that he thought that everyone was doing their best to forget their lost companion.

InuYasha felt the soft shift of Shippo's weight as he hopped onto a shoulder and leaned his front paws onto the hanyou's face. When InuYasha opened his eyes, he saw the intent look of wonder on the kit's face.

"You still miss her, don't you."

Even though they had all been through so much, the hanyou was still uncomfortable with someone being so close. The sympathy in the kid's voice was almost too much.

In pure InuYasha fashion, he 'kehed' and stood abruptly sending Shippo sliding off of his shoulder into a heap on the grass. "What do you know?" And, with that, he stomped off in a swirl of red and silver.

Shippo sighed to himself. InuYasha wasn't fooling anyone. He would never stop missing Kagome, and they all knew it. Why couldn't he just say it? That was what got him into so much trouble with the girl whenever she had been around. He just never could say how he felt. And now, Kagome was alone in her world, and she probably had no idea how much InuYasha had loved her.

The fox demon sighed heavily and perched himself on the well. He was going to sit here until he could figure out a way to reunite them.

Gray stared back into gray. It was startling to see how much Kagome's eyes resembled her own. The difference being the tiny flecks of silver that swam through the steel gray of her own, while her daughter's eyes were actually tinted with blue. Storm-gray is what she had called them. The color of the sky over the sea after a hurricane. Too bad the hurricane was still swirling behind those eyes.

Mrs. Higurashi smiled serenely as if she were not in the process of invading her child's space.

"Well, it would seem that you have spent way too much time in the presence of a certain half-demon..."

Kagome's eyes flashed, the color sharpening and roiling as if actually made up of storm clouds. Dangerous and dark. "Dont' talk about him like that."

Her tone was serious and low as if she weren't speaking to the woman who had brought her into the world. Mrs. Higurashi's hand flew to her chest in an act of surprise.

"What on earth do you mean, dear? I thought you were angry at him for leaving you behind?" That serene smile faltered, only barely replaced with a hint of amusement before sliding back into place. Kagome, already in an uproar, did not notice.

"You have no idea what you're talking about." She resumed pacing and puttering. Mama's brow furrowed in a show of displeasure. She needed Kagome to talk out her frustrations, not close herself off. This was going to be harder than she had thought.

"Well, isn't it obvious, that with the jewel gone, you were no longer needed? I mean, that is what he kept around for, right?" Mama's tone had hardened somewhat, and Kagome did not like her direction. Yeah, these were possibilities that she had held close in the darkest recesses of her heart, but to have them spoken out loud?

The girl raked her hands through her hair. She needed a trim, it was getting shaggy and unruly, but she just hadn't been able to bring herself to care about her appearance. It was good enough to bathe and put on a clean school uniform, she was just way too distracted.

"You just don't understand, mama." Her voice rose with each word, gleaning a hysterical edge.

Her pacing was halted with the soft touch of fingers on her shoulders. He mother was actually a few inches shorter than she by now, and, at this proximity, it was awkward to have to look down into her mother's eyes.

Those doe-like gray depths and that sweet unjudging smile tore at her already crumbling heart. How could this woman understand her so well?

Without even knowing it, Kagome reached out and clutched her mother's arms hard. She gave a heart-shattering sob before slumping to the floor in a heap of tearful mess. The girl tried to curl herself into a ball as she allowed herself to finally wallow in the self-pity that had been threatening to tear her apart for weeks. She shook violently, but her mother still managed to hold her in a tight embrace, kissing her brow softly and whispering soothing words.

"Is that really all he kept me around for? Do you really think so, mama?" The girl was still desperate, needing to hear words of sympathy. Luckily, the words she needed, just had to be the truth. Mrs. Higurashi knew it in her heart.

"InuYasha loved you, Kagome. Why else would he have protected you so desperately?"

The sobs, that had begun to subside, shook the young body with a renewed ferocity as Kagome shook her head.

"He protected me so that I could find the jewel for him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have left me so easily for Kikyo."

"Shh, dear. Remember that he always came back, and what happened after she died?"

A tear-stained face peeked out from being cradled against her mother's chest, the question written across her face.

"He guarded your well-being jealously, am I right? Wouldn't let anyone near?" The girl managed a disdainful scoff.

"I was the only miko powerful enough to find the shards. Of course he wouldn't let anyone close to me." Bitterness had begun to creep its way back into her voice. "And with the jewel gone, he no longer needed me...so..." She shrugged under the weight of her mother's embrace.

"If that were the case, then why didn't he force you to make _his_ wish?"

Kagome's head shot up as if she had been slapped. That revelation actually had hit her like a slap to the face. Honestly, alone in that dark place, he had had the chance to persuade her into wishing him into a whole demon. But he hadn't. InuYasha had stood with her, holding her in his arms, while she wished the jewel into nonexistence.

And then it hit her.

"The jewel doesn't exist."

She stood in a flash to return to her hurried pacing. Mrs. Higurashi merely watched with that amused look glinting her eyes. Finally, the child had realized her folly...but, could she make it through what would come next?

"So, if the jewel doesn't exist, and my powers were connected to the jewel, then..." Her eyes widened, and she looked over at her mother. "Oh, mama, what have I done?"

Once, again, mother enfolded daughter as she felt the child's grip on her anger wane.

This time, the girl's sobs wracked her body even more violently as she released the anguish that her ill-conceived anger have evoked.

Sitting in the well-house, amid the broken remnants of her attempts to return through the well, Higurashi Kagome's mother held her close as she clawed her way out of her well of anger only to fall into a pit of anguished despair.

Kagome's mood shifted from a volatile hatred focused on InuYasha to one of pain-filled depression pointed toward herself.

And Mrs. Higurashi mused to herself. Now, this, she had seen before. This, she could deal with.


	3. Makes Me Miss Your Face

**A/N: This is seriously the longest chapter ever! Okay, so maybe not. Anyways, enjoy it. Love it. Review it. Or not.**

**These characters do not belong to me.**

Absence

Makes Me Miss Your Face

Kagome stepped out of the heat of the shower and moved to the sink that stood along the wall of the bathroom. She usually bathed at night, but she had just needed a shower this morning before trying to face the day. Actually, this had been happening quite a lot lately. Several times a week she would wake feeling exhausted and filthy and in dire need of cleansing. Of course, the feeling was more rhetorical than anything, but the early morning showers seemed to help...

Who was she kidding? The showers did nothing to bate her need to clean herself.

It wasn't really that she felt dirty in a physical sense. Well, not even in a spiritual sense. It was more emotional. She had finally let go of her anger toward InuYasha, finally realizing that she had lost her ability to travel through time at no doing of his. She had just simply lost her power.

So, now she was faced with the loss.

She had lost InuYasha, Shippo, Sango, Miroku, Kilala, and Kaede.

She had lost the things that had made her special. Made her needed. And she had lost so many of the people that she had loved.

The girl found herself swiping the fog from the mirror above the sink with a shaky hand. She had come to detest mirrors.

After their little excursion into Kaguya's castle, and after they had nearly lost InuYasha to his demon through the 'celestial being's' treachery, Kagome had not been able to peer into a looking glass for months. Then, they had dealt with Kanna, one of Naraku's abominations. The girl's mirror had nearly sucked them into her void. And that emptiness had produced so many monsters that had almost killed all of her friends in numerous ways. To this day, Kagome had not been able to even glance into a mirror for fear of what might be hiding inside.

Today, though, she would.

Her friends at school had been commenting on her appearance of late. A day did not go by that she didn't get told how tired she looked or asked if she was getting sick again. Her mother had even given her a worried once over the day before. So, the young Higurashi girl had taken it upon herself to see if she really did look that bad.

Not that she had the energy to do anything about it. Or the will-power.

Looking at herself in the mirror, the girl had to blink several times, not really sure that the wraith on the other side was actually her. This woman looked the epitome of depression. Her skin was ashen and loose, as if she had not seen light for a long time, nor physical exercise. Her once-luminous gray-blue eyes were a dull pewter color. The bags underneath looked big enough to pack her whole wardrobe, and they were a dark purple color.

The shock of seeing her reflection like this pulled a startled gasp from the girl.

She had not been sleeping well. Her new obsession with reading had been keeping her up until late into the night. When she did decide to try to sleep, she would dream. And these dreams were terrible to say the least. Mostly she dreamed of what had happened to her friends that fateful day that they had fought Naraku for the last time. The images would differ from watching them die terrible agonizing deaths, to seeing them grow old and happy.

The happy dreams were the ones that brought her to awareness with a cry and in a deep cold sweat. She would see Sango and Miroku marry and have several wonderful children. She would watch as Shippo made his claim as a top Kitsune Youkai. And worst of all, InuYasha would find a lover who accepted him for all he was, and they would live forever happily.

These dreams were the hardest because they reminded her of what she had lost.

Just as Kagome lost control of herself once again and slumped to the floor with her hand to her mouth to hold in the sobs, Souta stopped in front of the bathroom, hand poised to knock. The faint sounds of his sister's tears kept him from intruding because, frankly, those sounds scared the shit out of him.

It had been a little over a year since Kagome had come through the well for the last time. Since she had left behind a world that was set in the past but was, in fact, very real.

For the first few months after her return, his sister had been excruciatingly angry. Now, that had been a sight to behold. She had carried thunder and lightning in her gaze, and, when her sights landed on him, he had just known that it was imperative to _get out of the way_. Kagome's ire had been intense and unwelcome, and Souta had not understood what was happening to the girl. She had just been so mad at InuYasha, and Souta had known that whatever had made her mad had not been his hero's fault. But, damn was that girl intimidating when she was pacing the floor like a caged tiger growling out words that held so much venom that plants in the next room had withered.

Then, his mama had stepped in.

And Kagome had changed.

She wasn't angry anymore. She was... sad.

Tear-jerkingly, heart-wrenchingly sad. And Souta had no idea how to help. So, he had stepped into the shadows and watched as the second most important woman in his life fought through the most severe bout of depression imaginable. Deep down, he had hoped that she would get over it soon and rejoin the world as her usual happy self. The change from anger to despair had occurred over eight months ago, and it really didn't seem that it was going away any time soon.

As Souta made his way down the stairs to the family's kitchen, he said hello to his mother before gathering his school books and preparing to leave for the day.

"What's the matter, dear?"

"Oh, it's nothing," the boy sighed, ruffling a hand through his hair. Mrs. Higurashi had noticed that her son had been making a habit of running a hand through his hair when nervous or thinking. And there could only be one thing that could agitate him thus so early in the morning.

"Oh, sweetheart, I know you're worried about Kagome. I am too. But she is grieving right now, and needs her time. All we can do is support her and wait for her to come to us."

"I know. It's just that I wish she'd realize that there are people here who need her, too."

"She does sweetie, she just hasn't remembered yet." Furrowing his brow, Souta ran a hand through his already tousled locks again before going out the door.

It was really a nice day out. Late summer, but not late enough to feel like it. Even at seven o'clock, the sun was a little overly warm and was promising to get even hotter. There was a slight breeze that made the walk to school bearable. But Higurashi Souta noticed none of this. His mind was swirling with the last words his mother had spoken.

Maybe that was the problem. Kagome had sunk herself so deep in her bleak view of the world without InuYasha and the others that she had forgotten completely about those who were important to her on _this _side of the well.

Of course, Souta had finally realized, in all his fourteen-year-old wisdom that Kagome's anger and depression were not his fault. He had learned about grieving in school, and then had spoken to his mother about what was really going on with Kagome. And the elder Higurashi had confirmed his suspicions. And now, mama had come through once again. He just needed to figure out a way to wake his sister up to the possibilities of happiness in _this_ world.

Now. How to do that, exactly.

Later that afternoon, Souta left school a little more heartened. He had come up with a plan. It had come to him, like a brilliant light straight out of heaven, as he had walked into the school building that morning. Along the foyer, the school clubs had booths set up as they tried to recruit more and more members. Until that day, the boy with the simple Higurashi features of dark brown eyes set in a wide-set gaze framed by the blackest of hair, had not put any thought into joining any extracurricular. Yeah, they looked great on your permanent record and would help in gaining employment when he graduated. The problem was that he just wasn't that interested in anything other than playing video games. Sure, there were groups that catered to just that type of hobby, but did he really want to spend that much time with people who let video games rule their world? Not really. Actually, he, himself, was the only person like that that he could really stomach to be around.

The boy shook his head to clear his wandering thoughts. He really needed to focus right now.

First, he had to make sure that Kagome was perched in her normal spot outside. Which she was. Now, he needed to get into the house and find the proper utensils.

In the quaint little sitting area of the Higurashi home, the family boasted of little by the way of luxury. A couch, a comfy armchair that was usually occupied by grandpa, the cat, or both, and a small tv that was hooked up to Souta's game console. That was all. Except for the ornate stand that resided in the corner. Mrs. Higurashi had found it months ago at an auction and had purchased it hoping to get some sort of reaction from Kagome.

Of course, the girl hadn't even inquired about the state of her bow and arrows after her initial meltdown. Mama had been the one to pick the weapon up from where it had been dumped onto the ground. Mama had also been the one to find someone strong enough to bend and restring it. And Mama had been the one to gather the projectiles and clean them before returning them to their place in the quiver. She had even found new fletching for a few of the damaged arrows after having them all sharpened to a razor's edge.

When Souta had questioned his mother on why she cared so much about the thing when Kagome had cared so little, her response had been one of unwavering support.

"My daughter used this to save the world. She'll remember that someday, and she'll be glad that we took such good care of it for her."

Now, as Souta stood in the center of the room looking at his sister's chosen weapon, he realized the wisdom behind his mother's words. The bow shined elegantly from it's perch on the mahogany stand that supported it. The white of the bow itself looked both opulent and pearlescent, and almost transparent all at once. Was it ivory? When he reached out to stroke the thinnest strand of horse hair that was pulled taut between its curved tips, he felt a slight tingling sensation in his fingers.

With a jolt, the boy pulled his hand away. Maybe, only Kagome could touch it. But, then that would mean that all of those times that Mama had cleaned it would have brought about the same reaction for the woman. Pulling in a long breath and holding it, he reached for the string again.

Nothing.

Okay, so maybe it was just anticipation for what he was about to try.

With one more deep breath, Kagome's little brother pulled his sister's bow and quiver from their forgotten status and slung them across his shoulder. Hoping he was doing the right thing, he stepped into the smoldering late summer sun.

On the other side of the well, as Higurashi Souta feared death at his sister's hands, InuYasha could be found lying peacefully in the meadow near the abandoned well. The day had been terribly hot and humid, and the silver-haired hanyou had decided to take a much needed relax in his most favorite place.

Odd that his favorite place in his world was the well that taken her away from him. He really couldn't say why he kept coming back to this lonely place. But there was just something there that would not let him go, and it pulled him to visit every few days.

Today, he was lying on his back, shaded by the well itself, resting off a long day of chopping wood and gathering supplies for the upcoming winter. Last year, the village had been taken by surprise by an early snowstorm, and many had died due to the harsh conditions. InuYasha and his friends had rallied together to form a hunting party to bring back any sort of game they could find. Luckily, they had found enough meat to cure and ration so that most of the villagers could survive the elements. This year, they would not be caught off guard.

So, InuYasha was resting blissfully. But he was not asleep. No, he had other plans for a certain pretty little raven-haired beauty who had fallen asleep sprawled across his chest. Ever so smoothly, he reached beside himself and plucked a piece of long meadow grass. Using the brush-like end of the weed, he used the lightest of touches to swipe the grass along her nose from bridge to tip.

The Inu-demon held his breath in anticipation for her response. Her brows furrowed cutely, and pretty soon deep violet irises peeped open unfocused and tired. They opened for a fraction of a second before she closed them again and turned her head away with a grumbling whine.

"I really wish you wouldn't tease her. You know she'll wake up screaming," the little girl's mother spoke from InuYasha's side where she held her other daughter in much the same manner as he.

"Aw, come on Sango, it's no fun if I can't tease her just a little." He let out a low rumbling chuckle as the infant in his arms batted at the offending plant-life without even opening her eyes.

"Fine, just don't try to dump her off on me when her wails get to be too much for those sensitive ears of yours." Sango couldn't help but laugh at InuYasha's face when he realized that this time he would have to deal with the consequences of his merciless teasing of one of her daughters.

The woman watched the hanyou with a mild expression as he shifted little Yuuki to a more comfortable position before closing his own eyes to catch a short nap. It was hard to believe that this was the same quick-tempered hard-headed fool that she had met just over two years ago. His personality had so matched that of his particular demon in that he was loyal to a fault while being easy to anger. And no one had brought out both of those qualities more than Kagome.

Sango had watched InuYasha's heart break while Shippo stood and accused him of forcing Kagome away. The adults of the group had understood immediately what had happened, but not the fox-cub. It had taken him a while to figure things out. Then, they had all tried to get on with their lives. Secretly, the demon-slayer had feared that InuYasha would return to his old ways of anger and hatred. He had surprised her.

However, he still had yet to advance in his life. He had stuck around the village, which had been an immense help, but he also continued to visit the well every few days. And with each passing visit, he seemed to withdraw even more. Not from the companionship of his friends, but emotionally. He wouldn't talk about Kagome at all anymore, and there were times that he would just stare off into space as if lost in a memory.

Then, the twins had been born.

Between the two of them, Yuuki and Yuuka, had managed to open InuYasha back up. He rarely was seen gazing off into the distance, and when he was, it was with a smile. But, again, that didn't happen quite so often. He had run headlong into his new role as 'Uncle Yash'.

And right now, Uncle Yash was threading his fingers through the dark curls at the nape of his niece's neck.

"Kagome had curls like this when she was little." He had his eyes closed and was still humming that soothing rumble which seemed to be an Inu-demon soothing technique.

Sango's eyes shot open. "Wha-?"

"I saw pictures of her at her mother's house. Kind of...a painting of her when she was a baby. Her hair was blue-black and extremely curly." He opened his eyes and cast a sleepy look at Sango.

"It's been a long day. Why don't we head home and start supper?" The woman had been saddened by this revelation from her friend. He had known so much about Kagome, and she about him. Everyone in their group had thought the two destined for one another, but it just hadn't happened. And now InuYasha was haunted with images of what Kagome had looked like as an infant, of what their children might have looked like. Sango's heart broke for her daughters' uncle once again.

While Sango was fighting down a wave of tears, Souta was fighting down a wave of nausea. What the hell had he been thinking?

He made his way across the shrine's courtyard to the place where Kagome's practice dummies still stood. She had erected these not long before her last trip through the well so that she could get some target practice in while she was on this side of time. As he walked past, back straight as a board, he walked deliberately in front of his sister.

Kagome had spread herself out under the Goshinboku tree. Yeah, it saddened her to be near the place where she had first woken InuYasha from his fifty year imprisonment, but it also soothed her. She had stopped by the school's library before coming home to check out some new books. If her mother knew what she was doing, she would be worried, so the girl had made sure to hide her obsession in the geis of research.

Well, it had actually started out that way. Last year, her biology teacher had assigned a research project that consisted of each student studying a certain type of animal. This project included finding out information that ranged from what the animal eats to habitation to how it interacts with others of the same species. Of course Kagome had to be assigned to study the dog. And obviously it had to be the wild dog, not your run of the mill domesticated man's best friend.

When she had begun her research, she had thought that she wouldn't be able to deal with the topic. The memories of living alongside a living, breathing dog-demon had been too close. But she had started. And six months later, she hadn't stopped. She had spent countless hours perusing her high school's library for information on her topic. Safe to say that she had exhausted that source material, but she wasn't finished yet. Sure, she had had enough information to receive an astounding grade on her paper, along with a pat on the back for her enthusiasm. But, she just had to know more.

By the end of the summer, and after several trips to the public library in town, Kagome had a rather extensive knowledge about the living habits of wild dogs. But not only that, she had expanded onto other pack-living canines as well as broaching the legends and lore that were attached to such creatures. That was when she had stumbled across the first mention of dog-demons. And, low and behold, there had been a terribly illustrated picture of what could have been Sesshomaru standing in front of his stronghold. And that had triggered her obsession.

First, the girl had searched for anything related to Sesshomaru and the Dog-demons that had controlled the Western Lands. Then, she had moved on to search for mention of dog-demons who were not affiliated with InuYasha's older brother. She had struck gold only a few weeks ago.

InuYasha. Illustrated in black and white in a shounen manga geared toward young adults. At seeing his face, drawn so beautifully on the pages, the girl had cried for hours. Then, she had started collecting the volumes. And had simultaneously quit sleeping.

At this moment, Kagome had put aside the manga to read a book she had found that discussed the truth behind Japanese mythology. She had only happened across this particular work when she had done a subject search with her hanyou's name. She had been shocked to find that the book by a Niishi Kogame used the legend of InuYasha specifically to argue that there was truth in most folklore.

The girl had buried herself in a discussion about the fur of the fire rat that he had worn when she heard a loud 'thump' come from across the yard. She paused for a moment and listened. The 'thump' sounded again. Then again. Thoroughly annoyed at being interrupted in her brooding, Kagome marked her place and stood so that she could find the cause of the commotion and kill it.

Her eyes rounded as anger sparked when she approached her practice area to see Souta letting _her_ arrows fly from _her_ bow. And he wasn't even standing right!

"Higurashi Souta, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

Souta winced at the shriek in her voice and made to drop the weapons. In a flash of speed that surprised even herself, Kagome rushed to where he stood and caught the bow before it could hit the ground. Her brother held his hands up defensively and began backing away.

"I-I'm sorry s-sis." Shit. His plan had back-fired completely. Now she was mad again. "I just wanted to learn a bit before my first meeting."

Kagome whirled on her brother, but her words were frozen in her throat. She frowned in confusion and asked, "what meeting?"

Souta rubbed the back of his neck while rocking from his heels to his toes. "I kind of join the junior high archery club, and I thought I might practice for a while. My first meeting is tomorrow, and I didn't want to go in looking like a complete idiot." He glanced to his sister, who was surprisingly shorter that him, waiting for her reaction. He tensed up, waiting for the pounding that was sure to come.

"You know, if you go in there with that form, everyone will laugh you right back out the way you came. Here, I'll show you the proper technique."

Souta looked at his sister, astonished. She wasn't tense or angry. She even had a slight smile as she readied herself to make her first shot in over a year. The smile never faltered, but her brow creased in concentration as she lined up her shot. One. Two. Three. She left fly.

Bull's Eye!

Damn. That felt good.

Kagome had to hand it to the old girl, she was just as light as she had been on that first day at Mount Azusa. And the arrow had flown dead on. And it felt awesome to be active and to do what came natural to her. Granted the bow had given her bit of a zap at first, but that was easily shaken off as the jitters of not having touched it in so long.

The girl took two more shots. Dead center on both of those as well. When she looked back at Souta, she was smiling widely.

"And that, little brother, is how it's done."

All Souta could do was stare in mild shock at how this one little action had changed his sister completely. She was actually beaming with pride, and her smile could rival the sun on its best day.

"K-kagome?" The girl cocked her head to the side, wondering at his breathless tone. "Welcome back, sis!"

The exclamation had barely fallen from his lips before he had run to her and wrapped her in a near bone-cracking hug that lasted for a good five minutes. Upon being released to breathe, Kagome looked at her brother and smiled even brighter.

"Yeah, it's good to be back."

**A/N: So, I was _this _close to naming the twins Kagome and Kikyo but thought that might be too weird. So, Yuuki and Yuuka it is...**


	4. Has Me Longing for Your Touch

**A/N: So, check it out. I just watched the trailer for Tim Burton's '9', and...IT'S FREAKING AWESOME!!! It doesn't help that the whole thing is set to Coheed and Cambria...so cool!!**

**And for those of you who haven't read any of my previous work, I am hard pressed to write a fic without at least one citrus flavored chapter. This one is not a full on lemon, but it is rather tasty in that respect. So, if you have issues with explicit content, please don't read the last half of the chapter.**

**Oh, and I only own Yoshiro. And though he is rather pretty, he is no InuYasha.**

Absence

Has Me Longing for Your touch

Kagome sat idly twirling an arrow around and between her fingers. She was deep in thought, which was evident by the hard creased forehead and intense glare directed at the carpeted floor of her bedroom. What had gone so wrong?

Okay, so she knew what was wrong. She just didn't know what to do to fix it. And, now, she had a serious dilemma. Why did he have to move here now, of all times? And why had he gone out of his way to interrupt her perfectly well-constructed loneliness?

The week had started out well enough. She had woken up to a sunny early spring Monday and had promptly buried herself into a week long routine that was chock full of all sorts of tedium, designed solely for the purpose of distraction. The day was brisk to the point of being chilly, so Kagome had opted to wear her heavy coat to school. Bad idea. Even though she was the only person not freezing her ass off during their free period outside after lunch, her coat had made for a great big fluffy target when the sensei had walked across the school's practice field to where Kagome sat reading in the bleachers.

It would have been just her luck to be pulled from reading another one of Niishi Kogame's wonderfully descriptive arguments about the reality of Japan's mythological creatures. The woman was a genius, or at least knew her stuff. But, Kagome had been disappointed when her frequent e-mails requesting a meeting with the author were denied. She had even gone so far as to tell her that she had irrefutable proof of the existence of a certain inu-hanyou, but even that had gotten her nowhere.

It was the contemplation of why she couldn't contact her new favorite author that had been interrupted when Haru-sensei had sauntered up to her spot on the bleachers with the new boy in tow. And now, Kagome winced at the fact that she had originally welcomed the prospect of showing the new student around as yet another way to keep her mind InuYasha-free. Another bad idea.

The sensei had introduced them quickly while the girl had been preoccupied with gathering her belongings. So, she did not get a good look at Saizo Yoshiro until the teacher had left the two of them alone and away from anyone else. It took a moment for Kagome to pull herself together and make her way down the steps of the bleachers with her hand extended in greeting. Her blazing smile shined brightly for half a second before it faltered.

Yoshiro was beautiful. His sleek raven black hair was longer than her own, held in a low ponytail at the nape of his neck and flowing past his waist. His facial features were flawless and rather feminine with a wide pouty mouth and gloriously high cheek bones. The eyes were even rimmed with full dark lashes. All-in-all the guy was actually pretty girly looking. Normally Kagome was attracted to males whose movements displayed raw power and masculinity. She went for those guys who were rugged and strong. Definitely not into the boys who wore defined muscles only as a way to accentuate their beauty, as opposed to those who actually utilized their bodies. But, there was just something about this guy.

Kagome hesitated just long enough for that rounded mouth to curve ever so slightly in a knowing smile, before she blinked and resumed her own introduction. It was hard to keep her eyes on his face. And, no it wasn't his body that had attracted her attention. It was more like something that repelled her gaze from his own.

His eyes were yellow.

Not gold melting into bronze, like InuYasha's had been. But damned close enough.

And it didn't help that he carried that annoying smirk that was present on the face of any male who thought too highly of himself.

But...She had already agreed to show him around, so she was stuck with him for awhile at least.

And that had only been her Monday.

Now, Kagome found herself back in her bedroom sitting on the floor with her back to her bed, contemplating her fate. Yoshiro, during that first meeting, had come to the conclusion that Kagome was madly in love with him and that they were fated to be together. In hind-sight, getting tongue-tied as soon as she saw his eyes, had not worked entirely in her favor. But, damn, was he gorgeous.

The girl in question, beat the back of her head off of the edge of the bed in an attempt to clear her thoughts. Not only was the guy bordering on stalker, this was verging on another Houjo fiasco. Granted, she had been childhood friends with Houjo, and at least he had been genuinely worried about her health. Only, it had taken her entire first year of high school to get that guy off her back. And he hadn't even gone to the same school as Kagome and her friends. What was worse was that she had been between her 'angry' and 'depressed' stages then, which means that she hadn't been very polite in her refusals and that she ended up crying herself to sleep most nights afterward. It had finally taken her screaming at him to leave her alone in a crowded street before she furthered his embarrassment by unceremoniously breaking down into tears and running home sobbing.

Yeah, Houjo never even bothered after that.

But Yoshiro was different. He went to her school; he was even in several of her classes. And damned if the gods weren't against her, the guy had gone so far as to join the archery club. Sure, it had been flattering to be the object of so much attention. Especially after dragging herself out of the funk into which she had fallen after losing InuYasha. And, at first, she had even entertained the possibility of dating the new guy. There was only one thing holding her back.

And damned is she didn't know what that one thing was. There was this nagging voice in the back of her head telling her to wait. But, now that she thought about it a little more, she noticed how reserved she had been in dealing with Yoshiro. It had been odd, even to herself, that she just couldn't bring herself to get close to this boy. He was everything a girl on the rebound could want: nice hair, a great face and body, and manners that would make Mama Higurashi want to take lessons. Besides, who wouldn't want the satisfaction of knowing that that blazing gaze that matched the color of the sun in a mid-summer sky looked at no one else?

Kagome just couldn't bring herself to get too caught up in the poor guy. His efforts to woo her were completely futile. She was aware that she still felt the loss of InuYasha in her life, but that pain had dulled from a sharp stabbing wound to a subtle ache. And, no, it wasn't the similarity in their eye color that caused her hesitation. Yoshiro's odd ocular pigmentation was one of his most endearing qualities. It gave him the added bonus of looking even more exotic, next to Kagome's own mousy, extremely Japanese appearance. That's part of what drew her attention in the first place.

It was just that he was...missing something. She just couldn't place what exactly.

Huffing a weary sigh, the Higurashi girl decided that it was time to get herself up off of the floor in order to make her way to the bathroom for her evening cleansing ritual. Up until a few months ago, Kagome hadn't thought of washing the dirt of the day away from her body as too much of a chore. Now, she did. Just one more part of her daily routine that consisted of purification.

Really, it was her own fault that she felt this way, and she should probably try to figure out why something so simple had become so grueling. It had started not long after Kagome had decided to assist her grandfather in the upkeep of the shrine. Souta should have been the one to step up and offer assistance, but that brat was too preoccupied with being the 'star' of the junior high archery club. Next year, he would join her in high school, and any delusions of grandeur that he held about himself would be slapped to the ground by his own big sister. She had become the main point-winner on the high school's team, and his little ass was going to be put in his place fast.

So, Kagome had begun to notice more frequently the state of disrepair of the shrine and had offered to help out when she had time. It had taken all of a month for her chores at the shrine to take over a great deal of what little time she had between school and archery practice. She had barely had any time for her reading obsession! What was worse, was that after a few weeks, her grandfather had decided that she needed to learn some of the ceremonies and rituals so that she could help him when needed. Before she knew it, Kagome had found herself running most of the ceremonial aspects of the shrine while her grandfather ran the souvenir shop.

About a week ago, it had dawned on the girl that she had stepped right back into the role of miko. Only this time she had no powers to utilize. Now, it was all pretend, as she purified this or that object for whatever random person who came to the shrine. The rituals were so time consuming and exhausting that Kagome had little energy for anything else at the end of the day, let alone cleansing something else. Even if that something else was her own body.

Thus, Kagome found herself trudging along to the bathroom. She showered, effectively scrubbing away the impurities of her daily life, while invigorating her body. Then, she sank into the bath for a short soak. Her shower had made her body feel light and fresh, and the bath was loosening her aching muscles. All-in-all, she was feeling energized, which would probably last only long enough to make it back to her bedroom before she collapsed for the night. The cleansing ritual had been a success.

As the girl brushed the tangles out of her hair, she found her mind wandering back to the subject of Saizo Yoshiro. Surely she could go out with the guy just once, at least that would be enough to satisfy her curiosity. With the thought of what it would be like to be closer to the raven-haired boy, Kagome tucked herself in for a nice long sleep.

Sleep was a tricky bastard when you really wanted to catch it.

The young woman sighed again as she rolled onto her back, trying to find a position that would bring on the snoozefest. Why had she even thought about Yoshiro before she went to bed? Now, she couldn't get the boy off of her mind. It had started with a simple ponderance as to what his personality was like outside of school.

Now, she found herself picturing his soft beauty in her mind's eye. Was his skin really as soft as it looked? Was his hair really that silky? And his mouth, was it as sweet at it seemed? She imagined how he would taste as he kissed her lightly on the date that she may or may not agree to.

Kagome's imagination conjured up images of Yoshiro pulling her close as the lusciousness that was his mouth drew her in for a long, slow kiss. Any man that beautiful was surely romantic and affectionate, right? After kissing her breathless for what felt like an eternity, the phantom that resembled Yoshiro began to run his hands over her body. The girl, caught in the bliss of her fantasy, used her own hands to trace lines up and down her own body in the manner that she imagined the boy would use. She let out an airy sigh as her body reacted to her own touch.

The heated sensations of her own skin spurred the girl on as her imaginary lover touched her, ever so lightly before bringing a hand under the hem of her top in a torturous caress. She felt her nipple harden under the dexterity of her own fingers and shifted sides to tease the other into standing. All the while, the invisible boy kissed her with full abandonment while reaching into her shorts and cupping her intimately. Kagome didn't hesitate when she felt the slickness that her late night affair had caused.

Again, the boy kissed her while teasing a nipple with thumb and finger. Kagome mimicked the motions she conjured with one hand on breast and the other on her most sacred of places. She pinched her own clit before beginning to rub in a circular movement. Another sigh escaped as she toyed with herself, the picture of the raven-haired boy on her mind.

As she felt the friction of her hand slicken with her own juices, the girl pinched her nipple just enough to imagine that her lover had moved away from kissing her mouth in order to plunder her bosom. It was the pinch that brought clarity to Kagome, as well as giving her slight pause in what she was doing.

She had seen Yoshiro nip at her skin while she had pinched herself lightly. And in that moment she had realized what it was that the boy was missing.

Fangs.

When he smiled that cocky smirk, he didn't have fangs to give the look the positively dominating effect that it should have. And if she did kiss him, she wouldn't feel the sharp teeth against her lips or tongue, nipping her softly to accentuate his desire.

At that moment, Kagome's ghostly lover changed. His dark hair turned the pale shade of snow in the full moon. His yellow eyes turned several shades darker and deeper. And his human ears were replaced by silvery triangle-shaped dog ears perched at the top of his head.

Yoshiro became InuYasha.

Kagome grew frantic in her desire.

She had never thought to allow herself to imagine what it would be like to feel the hanyou's touch. But, now she did.

His fingers caressed every inch of her skin, owning her body. His mouth devoured her in demanding kisses that told her that she belonged to him. When his hands skimmed into her shorts to toy with her button, she had to put her hand over her mouth to keep from calling out.

With the new thought of InuYasha touching every part of her, Kagome teased herself into an ultimate bliss that had her seeing stars and wishing that she could call out to him.

And in the aftermath, Higurashi Kagome cried softly to herself over what she had lost.

She would never feel InuYasha's mouth on hers again. He would never touch her intimately. She would never know if he desired her.

She knew that she would never be able to be with anyone else.

On the other side of time, InuYasha sat in the branches of the Goshinboku, basking in the aftereffects of his own release. Unlike Kagome, however, the hanyou was not crying his little heart out over his loss. No, he was scowling down at his own body as if trying to figure out how to reprimand it for defying him.

Why couldn't he forget her?

And God knows he had tried.

He had even gone so far as to find interest in the pretty young village girl who had been eyeing him recently. The girl was a healthy beauty with dark brown hair and deeper brown eyes, and her skin was a beautiful tan from her work outside during the summer. The kind of girl most men would want to settle down with.

He had tried. Really, he had. Thanks to the wily ways of Miroku and Sango, InuYasha had come across a chance moment alone with the new object of his affections near the river bank where she was doing her laundry. It just so happened that the other women were not doing theirs that day, but this girl just _had_ to get her family's done right then for some reason.

When he had pulled her close, she had come willingly. And her mouth was sweet and yielding under his. Until she felt the tip of a fang graze her lip, which brought forth a light tremble. Not the good kind, either. She would never be able to fully accept his half-demon countenance. The relationship had ended right there.

From there, the frustrations had only mounted. Literally. InuYasha, in a rare act of kindness, had decided to spend the winter bunked with Shippo at Miroku and Sango's home. The kid was feeling rather lonely, what with no Kagome and the twins taking up all of their parents' attention. The normally brash and insensitive dog-demon had suggested staying the winter in Shippo's room as a way to supply the kit with a little one-on-one bonding.

But, it was hard. Especially since Miroku and Sango had apparently decided to spend the whole winter trying to conceive another child. Couldn't they just be happy with the twins? The smell of the sex lingered for days in the closed-up hut, and Sango's constant arousal permeated the air the rest of the time. InuYasha often wondered how Shippo could stand it.

Tonight had been the final straw. In a fit of misery over missing his 'mother' figure, Shippo had pulled out one of Kagome's long-forgotten blankets and wrapped it around himself before he had gone to sleep clutching the locket which held her picture that InuYasha had given to him. Another rare act of kindness; one that he often regretted when he wanted to refresh his memory of her.

When that blanket had come into play, the hanyou had known it was time to get out of the house. Kagome's scent rolled off of it as if it were fresh, as opposed to years old. And he was reminded of how beautiful that scent truly was. Kagome never had been one to wear much perfume or use scented shampoos. However, she had used a lightly scented soap that elicited the fragrance of orchids. That and the splendid aroma of her own body had driven him crazy from the first moment he had seen her.

Now, sitting in his sacred tree, InuYasha reveled in the remembrance of both her smell and their first kiss. She had not feared him then, even though he had been trying to kill her. His human soul had been trapped in a demon mirror, and Kagome had used her love for him to save them all. That kiss had been hard and desperate, but he knew exactly what she had tried to tell him with it. And she hadn't even flinched at the feel of his fangs.

It had been in that moment that he had decided that he would stay by her side forever. He no longer needed the Shikon jewel to wish himself demon or human. Not when she accepted who he was at that exact moment. She hadn't feared his demon side, nor had she longed for his humanity. No, she had loved _him_ for the person he was and had no illusions of what she thought he should be.

Slowly, sitting alone in the early spring night, the silver-haired demon realized that there was no way he was ever going to be able to get over Higurashi Kagome.

**A/N: And yes, InuYasha's fangs are way sexy!!**


	5. Gives Me the Strength to Find You

**A/N: You know that feeling when you get to an inbetween chapter that has to be written but you have no real motivation to write it. Yeah, had that problem here. Sorry if it sucks. Promise I'll make it up in the next one. I think I have one more left to go. Okay, I'll shut up and let you read it...Loves.**

**InuYasha and the rest are not mine.**

Absence

Gives Me the Strength to Find You

Higurashi Souta closed his book with a snap. It had taken him several months of in-depth research, but he had finally found what he had been looking for. He rolled from his position of being sprawled on his stomach across the bed to sitting up with a triumphant sigh. Now, he just needed to tell Kagome.

The sixteen-year-old boy ran his hand through his shaggy hair as he made his way down the hall to his sister's room. Upon seeing that the door was open, he smiled to himself. It was not surprising that the girl would be awake so early. She had to be so nervous about today.

Kagome sat in the middle of her bedroom floor surrounded by large piles of books and boxes. Apparently, she was sorting through her possessions from throughout her time at school in order to pack them away. The sadness that she was feeling was pouring from her body in silent waves. He realized the reason for her sadness when he watched her pack away the many books that she had collected that dealt with demons and their legends. So, she was going to force that part of her life away by placing it in boxes in one of the shrine's outbuildings.

A soft sniffle rose from the girl's bowed head, and her brother saw that she was crying. He was watching as her heart was breaking all over again.

The boy stood still in the doorway of his sister's bedroom at a complete loss at what to do. He needed to tell her what he had just found out, but he wasn't sure that this was really the time. A shift in the girl's mood caused him to look up at her. She had found a heart-shaped locket that she currently held gingerly between her thumb and forefinger, and he found himself wondering what picture it held. Her aura flared, a mixture of both pleasure and sadness. It was then that Souta became aware that the girl had not sensed him.

He knew that she still possessed her spiritual powers, but it shocked him to learn that she still hadn't realized it for herself. Of course, it had taken him some time to find that he had his own form of spiritual energy. Boy, had that been strange.

The first time he had touched Kagome's bow, he had felt the zap of energy from the weapon. Later, he had learned that Kagome had felt the zap as well, and that she had felt the intensity of the charge get larger each time she fired an arrow. Upon using the bow a few more times, he had found the same to be true for himself. It was then that he decided to do some research into the Shinto religion and the powers of the Miko.

He had also taken to watching, more observing, Kagome as she threw herself headlong into her work at the shrine. The boy had been happily surprised that she had decided against going to college in order to help her grandfather run the shrine. Apparently, her new dream was to reinstate the former glory of their little corner of the world. It was wonderful to watch her storm colored eyes lighten to a dusky blue as she explained her plans for the place. Her enthusiasm was very catching, and he found himself excited for her.

Especially when she had begun to wield her powers again. Granted it usually only happened when she was in deep concentration during a purification or blessing, but it was still awesome to watch. The way that her eyes would glow and her hair would blow around her body as if disturbed by a gentle wind was definitely something to watch. But, the girl still had no idea that she was doing it. And when he had told her what he had seen, she had blown him off completely.

It bothered Souta very much that he had become aware of his own spiritual powers, but that his sister was still in the dark about her own. She believed so much that her powers had derived from the Shikon jewel and her connection to the priestess Kikyo, that she refused to take stock in her own abilities. Thus, her inability to sense the powers of those around her.

Souta shook his head sadly as he turned his back on the sad display that was his sister. He would tell his mother what he had just figured out. Perhaps she could come up with a way to talk to Kagome.

Mrs. Higurashi knew something was up when her son wandered into the kitchen mumbling to himself. He repeatedly ran his hand through his already-unruly hair, which was a definite sign of duress for the young man. She watched him closely as he moved through the kitchen, deep in thought, not really paying attention to what he was doing. So caught up in his own thoughts was he, that his mother had to stop him from pouring Grandpa's hot coffee over his bowl of toast.

"Souta, dear, what's on your mind?"

The boy looked up from blankly staring at the table, coffee pot still tilted precariously over his bowl. His father's brilliant blue eyes widened at her in alarm when he realized just how zoned out he had been.

"Well, mom, I've been thinking a lot about Kagome's..er..situation." His mother leaned closer as this was a topic of much consideration between the two of late. Both were very worried about what would happen to the young woman now that she no longer had her busy school schedule to keep her distracted from the very real fact that she was going to have to get a start on her life. "I just found a very interesting article in one of my books, and it describes how to get a miko to unlock powers that she's hidden away..."

As the boy began to ramble about his readings, the mother kept one ear tuned to his words while sifting through her own thoughts. It had been exactly as she had thought. Kagome had somehow locked away her own powers without realizing it, and now she needed a sort of push in the right direction to get her to use them.

This would be difficult as the girl profusely denied that she'd had any real spiritual energy to begin with. She still believed that her powers had derived from the jewel that had been held within her body for fourteen years, and that the rest came from the reincarnated soul of Kikyo that still resided within her. But Souta had apparently found a way to get her to utilize her powers once more. All they needed was a catalyst...

As mother and son made plans to force a young girl to use her long-buried abilities, on the other side of history, a young hanyou was coming to terms with some things on his own.

InuYasha and Miroku had made a pretty lucrative business of purifying and exterminating small-fry demons within the area around their village. And with Miroku's unreasonable prices, they were able to sustain their ever-growing little family. And now that the two were finished with this particular chore, they needed to head home quickly. Sango had probably gone into labor while they were gone. Miroku was very excited by the fact that he would possibly come home to another child, hopefully a son.

InuYasha was immensely happy for his friends. They had built such a happy existence for themselves, as well as giving each other the love and family that neither had had in their previous lives. It had been entertaining to watch Sango shift from the role of strong demon-slayer to that of meek housewife, but she seemed to enjoy her life with great pleasure. She was more than happy to give Miroku a warm home and many children. And being a mother went well with her.

Kagome would have been a great mother. What with her natural instinct to nurture and her daunting anger when someone she loved was in danger. That girl would put any bitch youkai to shame with her protective nature. But Kagome was gone.

As they arrived to the home of Miroku and Sango, they were inundated with a jabbering Rin and overly excited Shippo, as well as two very antsy two-year-olds. Their little brother had made his way into the world. The whole family was in an uproar with the news, and InuYasha could only smile softly as he watched his friends celebrate.

A few days later, InuYasha was sitting in the meadow that rested high above the tiny village. He had accompanied Kaede on her quest to gather healing herbs for her medicines. It was a balmy late spring day, and one could smell that summer was very near. The two sat in silence; InuYasha calmly contemplating the scenery as Kaede worked her aged hands through the plants, separating the weeds from the useful flora.

As she worked, the old woman asked InuYasha how things were going for him. He responded with his usual attitude.

"Keh," was all he said as he tucked his arms into the sleeves of his haori.

"I see that the village men have helped you in the construction of your own home. Yet, you do not sleep there, why is that?" She really did not believe that the young man would answer her plies, but she hoped that he would open up. The boy had been living a rather lonely existence for so long, and she knew that he must still hurt as a result of Kagome's disappearance.

"Keh, not that it's really any of your concern, old hag, but I just built it so that I wouldn't freeze my ass off during the winter. That damned tree gets cold, you know." He wouldn't tell her that it was also a safe haven for when the happiness in Miroku's home got to be too much. Somehow, though, he knew that the old woman already knew this.

"It's been three years since Kagome-chan left us. I wonder what really happened." The old miko mused aloud. She was treading into sensitive territory with the hanyou, but he had seemed rather open today. She could only hope that he would speak and get some of his feelings out into the open. It would be a healing balm to his broken heart.

"After Kagome wished the jewel to disappear, we ended up back in her world. I could feel the connection of the well dissipating, but I wanted her to be able to say goodbye to her family. But her mother, brother, and grandfather were all there waiting for us, and they were so relieved to see Kagome come back alive. They were crying and stuff." He had turned to face Kaede, and she could see the pain of the memory etched in his face.

"I realized that there were others who loved and needed Kagome more than I did."

"So, you left her with those people." His nod spoke volumes as he turned his back to her on the pretense of examining their surroundings. "When did you become so wise?" It was a sad attempt at humor on her part, but he took the bait. Well, if the soft snort coming from the hanyou's general area was any sort of tell.

"He's not, because he still goes to the well every three days." A giant balloon-like floating _thing _appeared beside the old woman, nearly giving her a heart attack. The pink bubble burst and was replaced by a rather smug looking Shippo.

"So you've returned from the Kitsune Demon Test."

"Yup, and I ranked in the top level." His little chest puffed out as he gloated on having the ability to finally gain notice in his abilities as a trickster.

"You actually return to the well that often?" Kaede's voice was filled with the awe that was often devoid from one her age, who had seen so much in her life. "What tenacity." This was barely heard over Shippo's wail as InuYasha launched him across the meadow with one well-landed punch.

As an old woman chuckled at the antics of the young, a mother was faced with the prospect of sending her daughter away. Or, at least, trying to.

Mama Higurashi had known that she would find Kagome in the well-house. She had spent much of her time since graduating sitting on the edge of the well, lost in her own little world.

"Kagome, what are you thinking about, dear?" It had been three long years since she had stepped foot in this place. After watching her daughter's initial breakdown, then following depression as they manifested in this exact location, she had wanted little to do with the place. But, now, she was glad to meet the girl here.

"Oh, you know, mama, just remembering." The waver in her voice led her mother to know that she was doing more than remembering. She was saying goodbye.

"Hey, I wanted to tell you something about your father." Deep gray-blue eyes swept up at the mention of her father. This must be big, because her mother never mention her husband otherwise. "Did you know that he had extremely powerful purification energy?"

Kagome was shocked. All she could do was sit and blink at her mother. What was this woman saying?

Gauging the blank look in her child's eyes, the woman moved ahead in what she had to say.

"Oh yes, when you were very young, this shrine was very popular because everyone just knew that the priest actually had spiritual powers. Your father had this wonderful aura about him, and he was able to heal wounds as well as sooth the spirit. That's why I initially fell in love with him."

"Just stop, mom. I don't know what you're trying to do, but I can't take this. I thought, of all people, you would be the most sensitive to what I'm going through." The girl's eyes narrowed, full of rage and disappointment. "I guess I was wrong. Please, just leave me alone."

Her mother sighed softly and sat down beside the grieving girl. She placed a soft hand on the girl's shoulder, urging her to look into her own eyes.

"Kagome, I wanted you to know that true spiritual power in your birthright. Your grandfather has very little, but your father was very strong." At her daughter's skeptical look, she hesitated briefly before moving on. "Souta told me that he's felt a strange jolt when he's touched your bow, and that he can sense aura sometimes." Kagome's skepticism increased as her lips tightened and her brow furrowed. She jerked to the side as if to shake her mother's hand from her shoulder. "You seriously have not sensed a return of your powers?"

"No, mother. My powers weren't my own. They'll never come back. No matter how much I want them to." The girl had begun a high pitched screech by this point, and Mrs. Higurashi forged ahead in an attempt to quell the on-coming tirade.

"Just hear me out, dear. Souta has told me that he has seen your powers stir just a little when you're in deep concentration." She raised a hand at the girl's outraged squeak. "So, he took it upon himself to do some reading in order to find a way to draw your abilities back out." She paused and took a deep breath. Kagome was definitely not going to like what she was about to hear. "He has found out that you have buried your powers deep inside of you, and only you can bring them back out. You have to want it badly enough."

"But, you don't get it, mother." Her mother could hear her teeth grinding with each word. "I was connected to the past through the Shikon jewel which only passed to me because of Kikyo's soul that was reincarnated into my body."

"Did you ever consider that the reason why Kikyo's soul found you was because you were born to be a strong miko to begin with? And that the strong energy within your body already was what recreated the jewel?"

This caused the girl to pause. Her mouth, which had been opened for a tart reply, snapped shut with a clack of her teeth. No, she had never considered her own spiritual powers before.

"If I am so strong a miko, why did it take so long for my powers to manifest?"

"Souta didn't start feeling his own energy until he was fourteen. Same age that you were when you first fell into the well."

"Okay, so how come I haven't been able to use them since I wished the jewel away?"

"You've been so caught up in trying to move on with your life that you haven't really tried to use them. That, and you don't really need them in this time period."

Kagome crossed her arms thoughtfully. Why hadn't Souta told her about his own abilities? And why hadn't he told her about his research? Oh, yeah, she was too wrapped up in trying to get over her own misery.

"So, what do I do now?" She asked softly. Her answer came in a tight hug from her mother.

"Just wish yourself back to where you belong. And remember, you have to ask for the right thing."

"But, mama, what about you and Souta, and grandpa and the shrine?" She had that frantic look that her mother knew so well. That look that Kagome got when she worried too much about the well-being of others and not enough about her own happiness. "Don't you need me?"

"Of course, dear. Your grandpa, brother, and I will always love you, but we certainly no longer _need _you." She leaned forward and kissed her child on the brow. "Kagome, you have to go back to where you are truly needed. InuYasha needs you more than we ever could."

A silent tear slipped through Kagome's lashes and wandered down her cheek as she squeezed her eyes shut at her mother's words. As painful as saying goodbye was, the girl knew that her mother was right. She was meant to be with InuYasha. That was why the jewel had found her, and that was why Kikyo's soul had been reborn into her. She had been his route to happiness, and he was hers.

With a last look to her mother, Kagome sat on the ledge of the well and made her wish.

The well answered with an eerie blue glow.

With one last look over her shoulder, Kagome said goodbye to her family and to her life in the present.

Then she launched herself into the well with one thought to sustain her fragile heart.

_Take me back to InuYasha._


	6. Makes Our Reunion That Much Sweeter

**A/N: So, this was supposed to be the last chapter, but apparently it's not. My damned little smut bunnies took me in a different direction with this one. And, no, there's no smut yet. Just a little heated action.**

**I do not own InuYasha or Kagome, but I do own the helluva hot kiss between them. Oh, did I spoil the surprise? Oops...**

Absence

Makes Our Reunion That Much Sweeter

His ears hurt terribly. So terribly, in fact, that he was sure that even Naraku had never inflicted so much pain on his body. And there was nothing he could really do about it, either. For whatever reason, the twins had taken to his ears _very_ well. Unfortunately, considering that they were only just a little over two years old, they did not understand the concept of petting. At all. No, they tugged and pulled and tweaked. What those two thought was petting was actually horrible torture.

InuYasha let out a low annoyed growl. Not sinister enough to frighten the tykes, but it should have been enough to let them know that they were visiting the worst type of pain upon their favorite uncle. The growl only elicited giggles and even more fervent tugs on his poor auditory appendages.

Fine, his dog-ears were cute. It seemed that the little swiveling triangles that were perched on his head were one of his few characteristics that mortal women found endearing. The first time he had met Kagome, even though he was pinned to the God Tree by an enchanted arrow and she should have been afraid for her life, the girl had climbed up his body just to pet his ears. And the first time he had met Mama Higurashi, she had tugged his head to her level just to give them a good tweak. Even that little jerk, Souta, had given it a go. Okay, so maybe it wasn't just women who liked his ears, but it was still annoying that _everyone_ he met seemed to be drawn to them in a way that just screamed that they needed to put their hands on them.

After the giggles died down, Sango's daughters climbed even higher onto his shoulders to tickle his 'puppy ears', thus beginning their favorite game. This game consisted of InuYasha twitching his ears back and forth while the girls each tried to capture one in their chubby little hands. They would end up giggling riotously until he would finally relent and allow each one to grip an ear in order to resume their so-called petting.

All he could do was slump in his seated position on the floor of the hut and play along. He could never bring himself to really threaten the girls, nor could he really keep them from their favorite past-time.

As Inuyasha resigned himself to another day of pure hell on his poor ears, he let his attention wander to his own favorite past-time: thinking about Kagome. He had finally come to the disheartening conclusion that she was never coming back. Yeah, he had known that the well would never open again once he had left her in her own time. And, he had also realized that it would take a very long time, if ever, to come to terms with her absence. Oddly, once he had realized that he would miss her for a very long time, his life had become that much easier to live.

He didn't have Kagome anymore, but he had others who cared about him. He had the friendship and love of their comrades. Plus, he had gained respect within their village. That was enough, right?

InuYasha may have been accused of being dense on more than one occasion, but he knew what Kagome had been in his heart. He had fucked himself royally by not telling her how much she had meant to him, but it was too late for regrets now. All he could do was continue with his existence. It helped that their friends had continued to care for him in her absence. But, he needed...more.

Sango and Miroku had been able to turn the love that had developed during their travail into a beautiful family. And it hurt InuYasha more than he would ever show that he couldn't have that. Kagome was the only person for him. He had come to that revelation while searching for her in the dark depths of the Shikon jewel, but, now, he truly believed it.

So, there was nothing for him to do now but live his life and remember their time together.

Sometimes, his memories were so vivid that he could almost hear her voice or even smell her sweet orchid scent...

Wait, that scent wasn't a memory...

InuYasha jumped to his feet, nearly dislodging the twins who were beginning to grumble about his lack of enthusiasm in their game. He tugged the girls into his arms while raising his head to sniff the air.

It _was _her scent. And it wasn't stale like the small amount that had clung to the blankets and things that Shippo had kept. No, this was fresh, and it was floating across the air on a soft breeze. The other floral scents that traveled along with the fragrance that belong only to Kagome told him that it was coming from the meadow just above the village. The meadow in which the Bone-eater's Well resided.

The Well?!

Inuyasha haphazardly dumped the twins onto Shippo's head with the distracted instruction to play 'slay the kitsune' before he bolted out of the house and across the village. He barely heard the startled 'hey get off me you little brats' amidst the giggled 'slay, slay'.

His mind was jumbled as his feet instinctively found the path to the well. It was too good to be true. The scent was getting stronger, but there was just no way for her to be there. So how was this happening?

The hanyou stopped in front of the well, not completely sure how he had gotten there so quickly. He stood for a moment, eyes closed, letting Kagome's essence wash over him much in same manner as the cool spring breeze. It caressed his ears, teased his hair, tantalized his nose, and warmed his skin. It was then that he heard the soft shuffling at the foot of the well. And he dared to dream.

Could she really be back?

InuYasha took a step closer and peeked into the bottom of the well. His heart nearly stopped. Wait, no, it actually did stop for a brief second before restarting in a thunderous rhythm that drowned all sound from his ears. His vision wavered, then narrowed. His gaze locked onto the one sight that he had longed to see for three long years.

She had grown taller, but not by much. He would still tower over her. She wore her hair loose, unbound to her waist where it curled slightly at the tips. He could see the brightness in her eyes as if they were glowing; the familiar storm color stirred an emotion within him that he had not realized he could feel. Her smile rivaled the biggest star.

Kagome was looking up from the dank bottom of the well with a stupidly goofy grin plastered across her face. He couldn't believe it.

The girl in question blinked up at an angel.

She could barely see him from the darkness within the well, what with the brightness of the sun that was the backdrop to the portrait framed by the walls of the well. All she could see was the glistening halo of his hair that, instead of the customary silver, shone fiery gold in the rays of the sun. She watched as his ears twitched involuntarily while he leaned in closer to the entrance. His face was shadowed by the glare, but she knew it just had to be InuYasha.

The muttered 'keh' as he reached in and gripped her hand was a dead give away, too.

InuYasha pulled her bodily out of the well, onto the ledge of the well's housing, and gripped her arm in his free hand to steady her. He didn't relinquish his hold on her hand nor her arm as he stared at her as if willing this to be true. The girl blushed almost serenely while he raked across her face with his luxurious golden gaze. The way he looked at her was so intense that she felt as if her whole body would ignite if he kept it up.

"Ummm...Sorry...Were you waiting for me?" Her voice was soft and sweet, like the spring breeze that was surrounding them, swirling their hair around their bodies.

"Keh, Idiot. What have you been up to?" Instead of the brash grating anger that he had used so many times in the past, InuYasha's voice was a soft purr as he tightened his grip on the girl's hand and arm.

Kagome's first reaction was to rail on him for calling her an idiot. But, she realized by the look in his eye that, yes, he had been waiting for her. And, even though he would never say it out loud, he had missed her terribly. The sadness that lingered in the shimmering gold of his irises matched the look that he had worn when he had disappeared through the well that day three years ago. So, Kagome went with her next reaction.

She reached her free hand up and fisted it into his haori pulling him closer to her. This was much easier since she was still standing on the edge of the well, considering the boy had grown a few inches while she had been gone. Her actions would have been awkward if she had been on the ground trying to pull him toward her in this manner.

Surprise flitted through InuYasha's thoughts as he realized what the girl had in mind. That only lasted about two seconds before he relented to the fact that this was what he wanted as well. So, he allowed Kagome to pull him to her, stopping a hairsbreadth away from her. Kagome, whose eyes had closed in anticipation flew open, her question writ in the the stormy gray depths.

InuYasha smirked cockily before sliding the hand that had rested on her arm to the nape of her neck. There, he tangled his claws into the obsidian tresses before whispering against her mouth.

"This one is all mine." And before the girl could even register that he was demanding dominance over their second kiss, she felt his mouth press forcefully against hers.

The sensation of having InuYasha's lips dancing across her own sent the girl into a dazed frenzy. This kiss was far from sweet and soft, like she had imagined it might be. No, it was desperate and hard, the kind of thing that resulted from three long years of separation and yearning. And the way that the hanyou devoured her lips with his own told her that he still didn't completely believe that he wasn't dreaming.

The nip to her bottom lip with one of his fangs sent the message that he wanted to taste her even deeper, and it sent a chill down her spine and straight to her core. She vaguely remembered her own revelation that no mortal man would ever be enough for her, simply because those fangs were part of what made InuYasha so desirous to her. The satisfied growl as he plunged his tongue into her mouth told her that he could smell her arousal. That would have embarrassed her had he not felt so damned _good_ moving against her body.

Kagome poured herself into the kiss and matched the movement of his tongue with her own. He blinked with surprise when she ran her tongue along his fangs and let out a satisfied hum as if she had enjoyed the feeling to them against her flesh before he clutched her even closer with another low growl. There's no way she could like his fangs that much, right? The girl was just about to try a little trick she had read about back home involving sucking on his tongue when the boy abruptly pulled away.

She stood there looking at him both dazed and a little confused, panting and trying to catch her breath. He almost couldn't rein in the sensations that her taste and smell were causing. It didn't help, either, that she was standing there pouting cutely completely breathless and mussed.

Finally, in an act of sheer self control, InuYasha released his hold on her hair and took a step back. He tugged the hand that he was still holding, pulling her into a little hop to the ground.

"Come on, everyone else will want to see you."

The hanyou's self-restraint was sobering to the girl, and it only took her a minute or two to return to her clear-eyed, clear-thinking self. His abrupt change in attitude confused her, but she was comforted by the fact that he didn't let go of her hand as they wandered through the meadow toward the village.

Soon, the fact that she had returned to the past and was surrounded by the beauty of the flowering meadow had her sighing contentedly. Yeah, InuYasha was an enigma. One minute he was hot, then the next he was absolutely frigid, but then again he _was _related to Sesshomaru. Perhaps, the elder dog-demon had rubbed off on his brother, after all. That made her giggle, and she could only shake her head at him when he corked an eyebrow in her direction. Oh well, no use in dwelling on the fact that he had cut their reunion short. The fact was, that he hadn't completely rejected her.

And he was still holding her hand.

When they entered the village, the girl seemed to lose her self-confidence and stepped closer to him. She even dropped back a bit and moved to hide behind him. InuYasha only gripped her hand tighter and tugged her to his side.

"What's the matter, wench? You afraid of them or somethin'?" Her scent had changed and now was tainted with nervousness, and she was also fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. He pulled her even closer to his side.

Kagome was startled with InuYasha's odd display of closeness. His whispered words of comfort and his constant holding of her hand warred with her preconceived image of the selfish and rude hanyou that she had come to love. Of course, it was nice to see him regarding her with a little bit of civility, but it was almost too much for her already frazzled sensibilities. Her questions as to who this really was and what he had done with _her _InuYasha were calmed when a bright red fluff-ball whirled in her direction and nearly took her out. InuYasha's tight grip on her hand was all that kept her upright.

"Kagome, where have you been? I've missed you so much. Why were you gone so long? Why did you leave me with Inu-jerk all by myself?" His big crocodile tears tore at the girl's heart strings to the point that she pulled him close with her free hand while trying to tug her other hand free from the hanyou. Who was having none of it.

"Give it rest will ya, runt. She's back, and that's all that matters." Kagome shot him a glare from over the russet-colored top knot before continuing in consoling the youngster. This was getting her nowhere; she really did need her other hand to rub the little ones back while holding him close, so she tried to free her hand again. A reprimanding growl and tightened grip were her answer.

InuYasha tugged Kagome closer and plucked the kit from his position lodged against her chest, thoroughly soaking her shirt with his snot and tears. He held the child up by his tail, upside down.

"Kagooomeee, InuYasha's being mean to me." The youngster screeched shrilly enough to flatten the hanyou's ears to his scalp. He shot Kagome a look that quelled her tirade at the kit's abuse.

"We all missed her, runt, so don't think you can go hogging up all of her attention. She still has to meet the twins and their brother." At this, he released the kit with a plop onto Kagome's shoulder before stalking off across the village still holding firmly onto her hand.

Kagome nudged the kit with her cheek.

"Who are the twins?"

While the girl from the future was being filled in on the new additions to their family, a mother was in for a serious shock.

Mrs. Higurashi gave one last watery smile to the gaping black of the well, knowing that she would never see her daughter again, before making her way toward the house. She still had to let Souta and grandpa know what had happened. This was one chore that she was not looking forward to.

Mama stepped out of the housing and raised her face to the sun, letting the last of her tears dry in its rays. There was no point in crying over her child, as Kagome would be happy now. She took a moment to breathe and allow herself to come to terms with what she had just done.

After steeling herself and locking her sadness away, Mrs. Higurashi smiled serenely to herself and stepped onto the path toward the house. Her foot halted in mid-stride, as her mouth gaped in a very unladylike manner. Her eyes had to be playing tricks on her.

As she floundered, staring across the shrine's grounds, a very lovely young couple was making their way toward her. The woman, looking very few years older than she had been when she left, grinned brightly at Mrs. Higurashi's reaction. The man only smirked, a tooth slipping over his lower lip.

"K-kagome...I-inuYasha? How?" She couldn't form words, and she felt her knees buckle as she nearly fainted. InuYasha gallantly came to her rescue and hoisted her bridal style to carry her into the house as Kagome made reassuring sounds.

A few hours later found the Higurashi family in the midst of a riotous reunion as Kagome and InuYasha told of their exploits over the centuries of their long life and marriage.

"We'll bring the kids with us next time," InuYasha preened smugly at his inlaws' slacked jaws at the thought that Kagome and he had had children. It took Mrs. Higurashi a moment to shake herself loose of her dazed thoughts, but she soon pulled Kagome into the kitchen to help prepare some snacks.

"Thanks, mama."

"For what, dear?" The young woman gazed at her mother with all of the love of a daughter watching her hero.

"You were there for me in my darkest times, and you gave me the strength to live my life until I could see you again." She leaned in and kissed her mother's blushing cheek before reaching into a cupboard for tea cups.

"Oh, it was nothing, dear. But I did have help." At Kagome's raised brow, her mother continued. "Souta and grandpa did their best. And there were those books that gave you hope. I wonder, have you met the author after all?" Kagome gave a knowing smile.

"I am the author." It was Mrs. Higurashi's turn to lift her brow in question. "I knew that my younger self needed something to help get her through her separation from InuYasha, and I remembered the books that I had read. So, I took a different name and wrote them myself. How else would anyone be able to write those books without some sort of first hand experience?"

"Very sly, my dear. But the books almost weren't enough. I remember when you began to lose hope completely." Kagome grinned into her tea.

"Yeah, well, InuYasha had a hand in that." The two picked up their trays and wandered toward the sitting room. Kagome laughed at her mother's furrowed brow.

"Do you remember me talking about a boy named Yoshiro that had the most peculiar shade of eyes?" Kagome's laughter erupted when her husband came to her mother's rescue once again when she dropped her tray of snacks at Kagome's reply.


	7. Does Not Last Forever

**A/N: Damned smut bunnies, taking an author in a completely opposite direction than they wanted to go. Oh, well, this chapter is nice, and I like it, so it stays. Warning!! Highly citrusy lemon here. Don't read it if you can't handle it.**

**I don't know if I've said this lately, but these characters are not mine at all.**

Absence

Does Not Last Forever

Kagome sat in the silence of the meadow, just breathing in the fresh spring air. She had returned to the past; she had returned to a time that had not been hers originally, but one that had become her own. During her travels throughout ancient Japan, she had acquired a sense that this place had become her home. The three years that she had spent alone in her own time had been difficult to say the least. She had not felt the long-lost connection with those to whom she had previously been close.

Now, she had returned to a time that needed her, to people who truly needed her. She was where someone _wanted _her. But, what would happen now? There was no jewel to piece back together, no unimaginable foe to vanquish. Would they really be free to live their lives?

As a miko whose powers had become unknown to her, she had begun taking lessons from Kaede. It had been interesting to learn that many of her responsibilities outside of the shrine would actually consist or gathering and using herbs and plants in the medicinal capacity. It was surprising, but she actually felt relieved that her fledgling spiritual powers would not be necessary. This would give her the opportunity to hone her abilities under her own terms without the influence of the Shikon no Tama or Kikyo's reincarnated aura. She would become accustomed to her own aura, to Kagome's aura, and no one else's.

Thus, the girl with the unruly waist-length curls immersed herself in her training with the old miko, Kaede. And, in doing so, she tried to escape the tiny sense of self-deprecation that she had brought with her through the time-skip.

Her own anger did not belong in this place.

And it was this anger that had overcome her initial shock at InuYasha's behavior since her return. He had thoroughly confused her by pulling her close, kissing her with a maddening passion that she had never known him to posses, and then all-but-pushing her away.

Her confusion had faltered when he had done so again a few days later, while she had been gathering a few herbs for Kaede in the woman's little garden at the rear of her home. His eyes had been fierce and hot, but his mouth had been more gentle on hers this time. He tugged her body against his and kissed her long and deep, stealing her breath, before releasing her and stalking away. All she could do was watch the swish of his hair as he strolled away without another word, her hand making its way to her mouth to touch the lips that he had bruised with gentle force.

That was when she had decided to not be alone long enough for him to approach her like that again. Yes, InuYasha was the reason for her return, and she wanted nothing more than to hold him close to her. But, his incessant aloof behavior toward her was disconcerting. When they were in the presence of their friends or other villagers, the hanyou would stand close but not close enough to touch, nor would he meet her eyes. Then, she would find herself alone, and he would descend upon her with soft caresses and warm kisses.

When she had tried to speak to him about his behavior, he had acted like a skittish fawn. He had tensed visibly and acted like he didn't know what she was talking about. It was almost as if he didn't know how to act around her. Did her really not know how to show his affection?

Probably not.

While pondering this out, Kagome had come to the realization that InuYasha was working out his own feelings in his own way, and that he was trying to subtly gauge her own feelings for him. Why couldn't he be straight forward and tell her? That's why she had been so angry and heart-broken when the well had closed in the first place. She had originally thought that he had left her because he no longer needed her, and that had thrown her into a terrible rage.

And that's when she had felt her self-anger twinge.

InuYasha had left her with her family in her own time, and he had been living with the thought of not ever seeing her again. It was only natural for him to be unsure of how to handle their current situation.

He had left her behind because he had cared for her, and she had answered that with anger and rage.

How could she ever forgive herself?

So now, here she was, sitting in the meadow, picking medicinal plants, thinking about the recent scolding she had received from Kaede about how she needed to come to terms with her inner turmoil before she could continue with her training. She knew what she needed to do, but just couldn't bring herself to accomplish her task.

If she told him how angry she had been, would InuYasha forgive her?

She heard the rustle of his fire-rat clothing and looked up to see her hanyou loping along in her direction. He was coming from the forest, which meant that he had been thinking in the high branches of his favorite tree. It was odd that he still loved that tree, even after being pinned to it for fifty years. But, he still spent several hours in or near it each day, as if it soothed some inner ailment.

Kagome caught herself breaking into a shy smile as he came to sit by her side.

"Watcha doin', wench?" His voice was rough like usual but held a note of tenderness that was reserved only for her. The sparkle of his eyes and his relaxed posture made her want to sit like this forever.

"Nothing..You have a leaf.." She reached up and pulled the wayward foliage from his silver tresses. As her hand pulled away, her gripped her wrist and, turning her palm out, brought it to his lips for a light kiss. The sensation jolted Kagome, and for some reason she just had to get away. Her frustration with herself was too much, and she did not deserve his gentle affection right now.

The girl pulled her hand away and swiftly stood, bracing her basket of herbs against her hip. Without meeting his bewildered look, she mumbled that Kaede was waiting for her return. And, without a second glance, she fled toward the village.

InuYasha sat stunned for just a moment. He blinked a few times, trying to clear his head. Why had Kagome run like that?

Of course he had been able to sense the confusion and frustration on her after his first few attempts at being affectionate. He knew that he had been too forward, while not really explaining what he had been doing. He just wanted her close to him, but he was not the kind of person to show his devotion to the public. So, he had waited for her to be alone to show her how much cared for her. But, in his fervor to be close to the object of his desire, he had not taken her feelings into consideration. He knew that she wanted him as well, if her responses to his attentions were to be taken into account. But, she had grown hesitant and even angry.

And, now, she had fled.

No, he wasn't going to let her get away. Not now that she had come back to him. He needed her close to him, and he wanted to tell her that he loved her.

Realization dawned as brightly as the spring afternoon sun. Yes, he needed to _talk _to Kagome. He more than likely wouldn't say the right words, but he needed to get his intentions across to her. They had to get past this awkwardness if they were going to build a life together.

He smiled, a fang slipping over his bottom lip. And he knew exactly how to get her to listen.

By this time, Kagome had made her way into the village proper. Her attention was completely focused on the conversation that she held with a few of the village men in regards to a purification ceremony that would be held on a vacant lot on which a new hut would be built. This would be Kagome's first opportunity to preside over such a ritual in this time period, and she was rather excited. She spoke animatedly about the preparations until she cut off with a very unladylike squawk.

The villagers with whom she was speaking could not be sure, but they recalled seeing a red and silver blur just before Lady Kagome just disappeared. Kaede assured the men that all was well, and that the lady would be returned soon.

It took several minutes for the miko to realize that she was no longer standing in front of Kaede's hut with a basket of herbs propped against her hip. She was being carried through the forest, while being pressed very intimately against someone's chest. She gripped the soft red fur in a fist and let out a shout that would send the most seasoned sailor running.

"InuYasha, what the hell is going on? Put me down this instant..." She rampaged on as she tried to twist from his grasp. Yeah, it was cool and all to be carried in the hanyou's arms, but not without the slightest hint as to what he was doing.

"Just hold on, wench, we're almost there."

His tone was breathless and concentrated. Obviously, he was moving very fast, and Kagome could only wonder as to how far he was carrying her from the village. That thought brought a whole slew of other not-so-innocent thoughts to her mind, and, by the time they came to a stop, she was blushing furiously enough to match InuYasha's own clothing.

As he released her and allowed her to plant her feet on solid ground, InuYasha caught a whiff of Kagome's arousal and wondered at what had gotten her going. But, almost before he had even had the chance to scent it, the aroma was gone. Okay, time to get serious.

"You should be glad that the subjugation beads quit working while I was gone, or you would be face-deep in a fifty foot crater right now." Okay, not exactly off to a good start.

Kagome steadied herself and moved to pull loose of InuYasha's embrace, but he tightened his hold. When she finally composed herself enough to look him in the eye, her irritated gray gaze was matched with that intense deep bronze look that he had fixed her with so often over the past few weeks. She hesitantly reached up and gripped a side lock.

"What is it, InuYasha?" Her brows furrowed as he kept regarding her with that same hooded stare. "What?" She said more softly. He blinked as if coming out of a daze, then looked at their surroundings.

"Come on, I have something to show you." With that, he released his grip on her body and moved away from her. However, as he turned, he grabbed a hand and tugged her along behind him.

They walked for only a few minutes; not enough time for Kagome to even begin to form a coherent thought. Now was the time to apologize to him for hating him so, but she just did not know how to start. Just as she was about to broach her topic of interest, they came into a small clearing; one that Kagome had never seen before. What she saw there took her breath away.

It was a small hut that had been built very recently. Surely, that hadn't been there before. They hadn't traveled that far from the village, but this one little house was too far from the protection that the multiple other dwellings would offer. She gaped, turning her eyes to see a smug hanyou watching her.

He used the hand that was not holding hers to reach up and tip her chin closed. Her mouth shut with a click of teeth that jarred her from her stupor. Now, she was sputtering. What question to ask first? As if anticipating her reaction, the boy used the hand still on her chin to raise her eyes to this. Again with the molten bronze, only this time they were just a bit misty.

"I built this house for _us_. This is our _home_, Kagome." His voice was feather soft and ghosted across her heated cheeks.

InuYasha watched the emotions war within his girl's stormy eyes. He had not told her his intentions as eloquently as she probably deserved, but he had made it as clear as possible what this little house meant to him. He had expected wistfulness, but definitely not tears. And he had not expected her to hug him so hard nor clutch him so close.

Her sobs were not delicate nor were they sweet. This girl cried bitterly, and he feared that he had crossed the line as to where she had expected their relationship to go. He comforted her while she cried, all the while his heart broke. In a swift motion, InuYasha sat himself cross-legged and pulled Kagome into his lap. He stroked her hair over her shoulder and rubbed her back, all while making soothing noises. In time, Kagome stilled, only snuffling softly. She raised her head from his chest and gave his a positively dewy look.

"I-I owe you and apology, InuYasha." He 'kehed' and brushed damp hair from her brow before landing a soft kiss in the same place. "No, really, let me explain." She shifted to where she could place her hands on both shoulders while looking at him squarely. "When you left me and disappeared into the well, I thought the worst of you. I thought that you had deserted me, and I hated you for it." Confusion clouded his sunshine-colored eyes, and she knew he didn't understand. "I_ hated _you, InuYasha. I thought you had left me, and that I was all alone, and that you didn't need..."

She was cut off by a 'shhh' and a claw-tip across her lips.

"I get it," he said softly. "Kagome, it doesn't matter..."

"But, it does, I was so mad..." She was quieted by a tug on one of the jumbled locks of her hair that had fallen over her shoulder.

"I don't care. All that matters is that you're here now. With me."

And he punctuated his sentence with a kiss.

This one was sweet, as if made of honey. He used his mouth and tongue to assuage all of her fears and anger. He held her close and raked his hands through her hair as if it was the finest thing her had ever felt. In time, InuYasha let go, and they both were breathless and panting. He rested his forehead against hers.

"Do you understand what I've been trying to tell you since you came back?" She blinked as her brows furrowed and her eyes went cross at the proximity of his. "I want you with me always, and I can barely contain how much I need you." He leaned back to look into her eyes. "Please, live with me. Be my _aite_ forever?"

The cloudy look that had crept into Kagome's usual sunny disposition disappeared without a trace, and soon a once-lonely inu-hanyou found himself flat on his back being hugged into submission by a fledgling miko. After having his fill of being pushed bodily into the ground, Inuyasha leapt to his feet. In a dazzling display of his demonic grace, he bundled Kagome against him and was walking toward their new home without her realizing that they had left the forest floor.

Once they were safely inside, all pretence that he was at all soft and gentle fell to the wayside, as InuYasha was kissing Kagome within and inch of her life before the door-covering had even fallen back into place. The girl found herself, no longer in her protector's arms, instead she was pushed forcefully against the wall as his hands trailed across her body.

With the way he was kissing her, and the way his hands dominated her body, Kagome realized that she would have no control here. She couldn't find it in herself to really care when she felt his razor-sharp claws ghost along every inch of skin that he could find. It didn't take him long to become impatient with the fact that her priestess robes not only left little to the imagination, but also left little skin bare.

With a growl and a shiver, Kagome found herself devoid of clothing, and InuYasha's hands were on her again. His mouth was hot as he used fang and tongue to tease her body into a near-liquid state. Between his hands and his mouth, it was not long before she was unable to stand on her own as she whimpered and moaned out her pleasure.

In another display of demonic agility, InuYasha finally succumbed to her pleas to be relinquished of her standing position by laying her deftly on a pile of her old blankets and freeing himself of his own clothing in one fell swoop. As the half-demon dropped Tetsusaiga and its hilt on top of his pile of clothing, Kagome had the barest of moments to admire him before he was on her again.

He was still all sleek sinew and hard muscle; if anything had changed over the years, he had gotten more defined and lithe. His silver hair, always unbound, had grown into a mass that fell to the tops of his thighs. She was surprised to see that the thing that had changed the most about the hanyou was the way he carried himself. He was still all arrogance and pride, but now he held a bit of refinement in the fact that he had _earned_ the right to be his father's son by the fact that he had saved the world.

This was all lost, of course, when he very nearly pounced on Kagome in his excitement. He had wanted her for nearly as long as she had wanted him. And now they were here, together forever.

The hanyou tried to pace himself by kissing his girl gently, but she would have none of it. He tried to slow her grinding against him when she began frantically bucking her hips against his for some sort of friction, but she would not be halted. He did not want to hurt her, but she acted as if she didn't fear pain.

"Yasha, please...please." She wanted so desperately to tell him to stop teasing her with his mouth on her breasts, with his claws touching her tender areas, but she couldn't get the words out. A slow grin crept across his face when he noticed how flushed her body was and the lust-induced clouds that had surfaced in her storm-colored eyes.

With no words, only sighs and soft caresses, he entered into her body with a long slow thrust. Kagome sighed a the sensation of being filled, being connected, being _his_. The gentleness and tenderness of their initial joining was soon forgotten as they took up a rhythm that, in no time, had their bodies clashing together like the tide against a rock wall. Each thrust of their hips was hard and unrelenting, pulling louder and harsher cries than the one before.

All-too-soon, the rhythm faltered as Kagome's body tensed and she let out a keening wail that may have been her lover's name. The sound of her crying out, the look of anguished pleasure in those gray eyes, and the tightness of her sweat-slicked body soon had InuYasha calling out his own release in an exuberant cry of triumph.

They lay together, she on her back, he still cradled between her thighs, basking in the joy of just feeling one another. They drowsed there for some time before both felt the stirrings of more passion. Neither would stop this night, they had been separated for too long.

They did not return to the village that evening, nor for several days after, and when the villagers worried, Kaede assured them that the noises they heard from the woods were not the call of a rabid beast but a tamed one.

_finis_

**According to freedict(dot)com, the word _aite _translates to partner or companion. I thought it fitting since most other fics use the usual _koishi, koibito, anata, aisai..._whatever. I wanted something different, and I thought it fitting. If the translation is wrong, please tell me. I really don't want him calling her his 'toilet' or something. Anyways, I do believe this is the end.**

**Drop me a line and let me know if you enjoyed the ride.**

**Oh, and some great InuYasha fics to check out are: 'Bound for Tomorrow: Sesshomaru and Rin' by_ Ravyn Skye_, 'Deserted' by _Neisha_, 'Oh My Gods' by _locainlove_ (absolutely hilarious), 'Pack Law' by _psycochick32_, 'Someone to Watch Over Me' by _WhisperingWolf_. And don't forget anything by the talented _Fenikkusuken_: 'Exchanged', 'Phoenix Blade', and 'Snowbound' and its sequel are absolutely superb writing.**

**Anyways, thanks for reading, and I'll catch ya in my next one.**


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